In fact, when Charles Schwab asked Americans to define wealth for its 2018 Modern Wealth Index , two of the top three most popular answers they received had nothing to do with money:

When asked to focus just on numbers, however, respondents said it would take $2.4 million to be considered truly wealthy. That's about 30 times the average net worth of U.S. households: $80,039, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

It's a complex question, and, not surprisingly, people have varying opinions on how much you have to earn to be rich.

During the Occupy Wall Street protests and the discussions of income inequality that followed, "the 1 percent" became shorthand for wealth. To be among the top 1 percent in America overall, a household must bring in at least $389,436 annually. In affluent metropolitan areas, however, the threshold is much higher. In New York City, for example, you need an annual income of $672,795 to be in the 1 percent.

Keep in mind that annual income and net worth are very different. Your net worth is total assets minus total liabilities. In other words, it's what you have minus what you owe. That means you could be earning six figures but have a small or negative net worth if you're living beyond your means and spending more than you're making.