The middle-income group serves as the primary driver of consumption. However, various risks may push them downward into lower-income brackets. Enhancing their endogenous development capacity is therefore crucial for sustaining and unlocking consumption potential. Using longitudinal data from the China Household Finance Survey(CHFS) and applying a two-way fixed effects model, this paper empirically examines the impact of financial literacy on the development resilience of middle-income households. The results indicate that financial literacy significantly enhances resilience, showing a clear "stabilizing" effect. This effect is particularly pronounced in eastern regions, in areas with higher overall financial literacy, and among households facing greater income risks. The mechanism analysis suggests that financial literacy strengthens resilience mainly by promoting non-agricultural employment, raising the likelihood of entrepreneurship, and increasing households’ willingness to participate in commercial insurance. Furthermore, financial literacy also significantly improves the development resilience of potential middle-income households, facilitating upward mobility and thereby contributing to the "expansion" of the middle-income group. These findings underscore the dual role of financial literacy in both "stabilization" and "expansion", offering valuable insights for designing policies to stimulate consumption.