Middle-class America is changing.

A recent survey by INSIDER and Morning Consult of 4,400 Americans asked respondents to define their financial situations as "poor," "working class," "middle class," "upper middle class," "affluent," or "don't know."

The results, in conjunction with other answers related to demographics and financial behaviors, indicated a shifting landscape in terms of socioeconomic status.

The middle class in particular carries several financial burdens — middle-class Americans are behind on homeownership and lagging behind in saving for retirement, and they have debt to pay off.

Most striking, though, is that many respondents identified with a class that didn't necessarily align with their income level or their socioeconomic background. For example, many of those earning six figures or who said they grew up affluent defined themselves as middle-class.

People identifying as a station lower than their backgrounds underscores previous studies that found a shrinking middle class and a higher cost of living.

Six key findings from the survey show the state of America's middle class today.