Apple's priciest Mac Pro costs $52,599 — 56% higher than typical U.S. income

Apple started selling its newest Mac Pro on Tuesday, a computer described by the tech giant as "extreme in every way." That could include its kitted-out price tag: $52,599.

To put that in perspective, a decked-out Mac Pro costs about 56% above the median annual U.S. income. Last year, the typical U.S. individual earned about $33,700, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. 

The Apple Mac Pro isn't aimed at the typical American, however. The tech giant says the machine is "created to let a wide range of professionals push the limits of what is possible." In other words, the Mac Pro is geared toward professionals like coders and game designers who need extra computer power and top-of-the-line graphics.

Here's how the Mac Pro's price tag reaches nearly $52,600:

• $5,999 for the Mac Pro tower.
• $7,000 for a 2.5GHz 28‑core Intel Xeon W processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.4GHz.
• $25,000 for 1.5TB (12x128GB) of DDR4 ECC memory
  
• $10,800 for graphics cards (two Radeon Pro Vega II Duo with 2x32GB of HBM2 memory each).
• $1,400 for 4TB SSD storage.
• $2,000 for an Apple Afterburner card. 
• $400 for a steel frame with wheels.

And that doesn't even include the monitor.

Buying Apple's new Pro Display XDR monitor — with standard glass — will set you back another $4,999. Springing for the fancier display with "nano-texture" glass will cost $5,999. 

Together, the cost of the maxed-out Mac Pro with the top display is $58,600, or nearing the typical annual income for a U.S. household, which stood about $63,000 last year, according to U.S. Census data. 

That's far higher than estimates for the top cost of the Mac Pro when the company announced it earlier this year. In June, it was believed the price of the Texas-manufactured computer would max out at $45,000. That may now seem like a bargain to some. 

While the Mac Pro has the type of processing speed that most people can only dream about, it's not winning rave reviews on its looks, with some wags comparing it to a humble kitchen cheese grater.