Household income in the United States
This article needs to be updated.(September 2020) |
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A key measure of household income is the
The distribution of U.S. household income has become more unequal since around 1980, with the income share received by the top 1% trending upward from around 10% or less over the 1953–1981 period to over 20% by 2007.[6] Since the end of the Great Recession, income inequality in the US has gone down slightly, and at an accelerated pace since 2019.[7] [8]
Definition
A
The residents of the household do not have to be related to the head of the household for their earnings to be considered part of the household's income.[10] As households tend to share a similar economic context, the use of household income remains among the most widely accepted measures of income. That the size of a household is not commonly taken into account in such measures may distort any analysis of fluctuations within or among the household income categories, and may render direct comparisons between quintiles difficult or even impossible.[11] The US Census does not include noncash benefits such as health benefits.[12]
Recent trends
The Current Population Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau reported in September 2022 that real median household income was $70,784 in 2021, not statistically different from the 2020 estimate of $71,186.[5]
Changes in median income reflect several trends: the aging of the population, changing patterns in work and schooling, and the evolving makeup of the American family, as well as long- and short-term trends in the economy itself. For instance, the retirement of the Baby Boom generation should push down overall median income, as more persons enter lower-income retirement. However, analysis of different working age groups indicate a similar pattern of stagnating median income as well.[15]
Journalist Annie Lowrey wrote in September 2014: "The root causes [of wage stagnation] include technological change, the decline of labor unions, and globalization, economists think, though they disagree sharply on how much to weight each factor. But foreign-produced goods became sharply cheaper, meaning imports climbed and production moved overseas. And computers took over for humans in many manufacturing, clerical, and administrative tasks, eroding middle-class jobs growth and suppressing wages."[16]
Measured relative to GDP, total compensation and its component wages and salaries have been declining since 1970. This indicates a shift in income from labor (persons who derive income from hourly wages and salaries) to capital (persons who derive income via ownership of businesses, land and assets). This trend is common across the developed world, due in part to globalization.[17] Wages and salaries have fallen from approximately 51% GDP in 1970 to 43% GDP in 2013. Total compensation has fallen from approximately 58% GDP in 1970 to 53% GDP in 2013.[citation needed]
However, as indicated by the charts below, household income has still increased significantly since the late 1970s and early 80s in real terms, partly due to higher individual median wages, and partly due to increased employment of women.
According to the CBO, between 1979 and 2011, gross median household income, adjusted for inflation, rose from $59,400 to $75,200, or 26.5%.[18] However, once adjusted for household size and looking at taxes from an after-tax perspective, real median household income grew 46%, representing significant growth.[19]
The following table summarizes real median household income at key recent milestones:
Variable | 1999 Previous Record | 2007 Pre-Crisis Peak | 2012 Post-Crisis Trough | 2019 Previous Record | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Real median household income[20] | $67,650 | $68,610 | $63,350 | $78,250 | $74,580 |
Uses
Use of individual household income: The government and organizations may look at one particular household's income to decide if a person is eligible for certain programs, such as nutrition assistance[21] or need-based financial aid,[22] among many others.
Use at the aggregate level: Summaries of household incomes across groups of people – often the entire country – are also studied as part of economic trends like standard of living and distribution of income and wealth. Household income as an economic measure can be represented as a median, a mean, a distribution, and other ways. Household income can be studied across time, region, education level, race/ethnicity, and many other dimensions. As an indicator of economic trends, it may be studied along with related economic measures such as disposable income, debt, household net worth (which includes debt and investments, durable goods like cars and houses), wealth, and employment statistics.
Median inflation-adjusted ("real") household income
Median inflation-adjusted ("real") household income generally increases and decreases with the business cycle, declining in each year during the periods 1979 through 1983, 1990 through 1993, 2000 through 2004 and 2008 through 2012, while rising in each of the intervening years.[18] Extreme poverty in the United States, meaning households living on less than $2 per person per day before government benefits, more than doubled in absolute terms from 636,000 to 1.46 million households (including 2.8 million children) between 1996 and 2011, with most of this increase occurring between late 2008 and early 2011.[23] A 2012 study by the Urban Institute found that 75% of adults in "deep poverty" had not worked in the previous year.[24]
CBO income growth study
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office conducted a study analyzing household income throughout the income distribution, by combining the Census and IRS income data sources. Unlike the Census measure of household income, the CBO showed income before and after taxes, and by also taking into account household size.[25] Also, the CBO definition of income is much broader, and includes in kind transfers as well as all monetary transfers from the government.[25] The Census' official definition of money income excludes food stamps and the EITC, for example, while CBO includes it.
Between 1979 and 2011, gross median household income, adjusted for inflation, rose from $59,400 to $75,200, or 26.5%. This compares with the Census' growth of 10%.[18] However, once adjusted for household size and looking at taxes from an after-tax perspective, real median household income grew 46%, representing significant growth.[19]
While median gross household income showed much stronger growth than depicted by the Census, inequality was shown to still have increased. The top 10% saw gross household income grow by 78%, versus 26.5% for the median. The bottom 10%, using the same measure, saw higher growth than the median (40%).[19]
Since 1980, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has increased 67%,[27] while median household income has only increased by 15%. Median household income is a politically sensitive indicator. Voters can be critical of their government if they perceive that their cost of living is rising faster than their income.
The early-2000s recession began with the bursting of the dot-com bubble and affected most advanced economies including the European Union, Japan and the United States. An economic recession will normally cause household incomes to decrease, often by as much as 10%.
The
A study on US Census income data claims that when using the national accounting methodology, U.S. gross median household income was $57,739 in 2010 (table 3).[30]
In 2015, the US median household income spiked 5.2 per cent, reaching $56,000, making it the first annual hike in median household income since the start of the Great Recession.[31]
Mean household income
Another common measurement of personal income is the mean household income. Unlike the median household income, which divides all households in two halves, the mean income is the average income earned by American households. In the case of mean income, the income of all households is divided by the number of all households.
The U.S. Census Bureau provides the following breakdown by self-identified ethnic groups as of March 2018:
Ethnic category | Mean household income |
---|---|
Asian alone
|
$119,816 |
White alone | $93,948 |
Hispanic or Latino | $70,945 |
Black
|
$59,363 |
Mean vs. median household income
Median income is the amount which divides the income distribution into two equal groups, half having income above that amount, and half having income below that amount. Mean income (average) is the amount obtained by dividing the total aggregate income of a group by the number of units in that group. The means and medians for households and families are based on all households and families. Means and medians for people are based on people 15 years old and over with income.
— US Census Bureau, Frequently Asked Question, published by First Gov.[32]
Aggregate income distribution
This section needs to be updated.(August 2018) |
The aggregate income measures the combined income earned by all persons in a particular income group. In 2018, the total personal income earned in the United States was $17.6 trillion.[36] In 2008, all households in the United States earned roughly $12,442.2 billion.[36] One half, 49.98%, of all income in the US was earned by households with an income over $100,000, the top twenty percent. Over one quarter, 28.5%, of all income was earned by the top 8%, those households earning more than $150,000 a year. The top 3.65%, with incomes over $200,000, earned 17.5%. Households with annual incomes from $50,000 to $75,000, 18.2% of households, earned 16.5% of all income. Households with annual incomes from $50,000 to $95,000, 28.1% of households, earned 28.8% of all income. The bottom 10.3% earned 1.06% of all income.[citation needed]
Demography
Racial and ethnic groups
Americans who identified as White alone, headed up roughly 77.79% of all households in 2021,[37] but those same households comprised 81.43% of households in the top 5% of household income. Conversely, Americans who identified as Black alone headed up only 5.33% of households in the top 5%, whereas such households made up 13.49% of all households.[37]
Overall, households headed by Hispanic and Black Americans were underrepresented in the top two quintiles and overrepresented in the bottom two quintiles. Households headed by people who identified as being Asian alone were also overrepresented among the top two quintiles. In the top five percent the percentage of Asians was nearly twice as high as the percentage of Asians among the general population. White households are underrepresented in the lowest quintile and slightly overrepresented in the top two quintiles and the top five percent.[37]
In terms of race in 2020 data,
Ethnic group | All households | Lowest fifth | Second fifth | Middle fifth | Fourth fifth | Highest fifth | Top 5% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White Alone | Numbers in 000s | 102,057 | 18,624 | 20,056 | 20,717 | 21,293 | 21,367 | 5,392 |
Percentage | 77.79% | 70.98% | 76.43% | 78.95% | 81.15% | 81.43% | 82.17% | |
Black Alone | Numbers in 000s | 17,698 | 5,490 | 4,291 | 3,493 | 2,592 | 1,832 | 350 |
Percentage | 13.49% | 20.92% | 16.35% | 13.31% | 9.88% | 6.98% | 5.33% | |
Asian Alone | Numbers in 000s | 7,276 | 1,116 | 0,951 | 1,235 | 1,547 | 2,426 | 700 |
Percentage | 5.55% | 4.25% | 3.62% | 4.71% | 5.90% | 9.25% | 10.67% | |
Hispanic (any race) | Numbers in 000s | 19,230 | 4,333 | 4,816 | 4,091 | 3,572 | 2,418 | 492 |
Percentage | 14.66% | 16.51% | 18.35% | 15.59% | 13.61% | 9.21% | 7.50% |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2021[37]
Education and gender
Household income as well as per capita income in the United States rise significantly as the
According to the US Census Bureau persons with
Individuals with
Household income also increased significantly with the educational attainment of the householder. The US Census Bureau publishes educational attainment and income data for all households with a householder who was aged twenty-five or older. The biggest income difference was between those with some college education and those who had a
Distribution of household income by educational attainment and gender in 2019 according to US Census data
Criteria | Overall | Less than 9th grade | Some high school | High school graduate or equivalent | Some college | Associate degree | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree or more | Master's degree | Professional degree | Doctoral degree | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Median annual individual income[44] | Male, age 25+ | $52,297 | $29,405 | $32,112 | $41,580 | $49,676 | $53,082 | $70,968 | $78,156 | $89,915 | $135,970 | $112,305 |
Female, age 25+ | $40,294 | $20,252 | $21,851 | $28,166 | $32,679 | $35,970 | $50,691 | $56,047 | $61,861 | $88,301 | $87,394 | |
Age 25+ | $46,985 | $25,162 | $26,092 | $35,540 | $39,362 | $42,391 | $60,705 | $66,432 | $71,851 | $102,741 | $101,526 | |
Median annual household income[45] | $70,308 | $30,355 | $31,326 | $48,708 | $61,911 | $69,573 | $100,164 | $108,646 | $117,439 | $162,127 | $142,347 |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
The change in median personal and household since 1991 also varied greatly with educational attainment. The following table shows the median household income according to the educational attainment of the householder. All data is in 2003 dollars and only applies to householders whose householder is aged twenty-five or older. The highest and lowest points of the median household income are presented in bold face.[39][47] Since 2003, median income has continued to rise for the nation as a whole, with the biggest gains going to those with associate degrees, bachelor's degree or more, and master's degrees. High-school dropouts fared worse with negative growth.
Year | Overall Median | Less than 9th grade | Some high school | High school graduate | Some college | Associate degree | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree or more | Master's degree | Professional degree | Doctoral degree |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | $40,873 | $17,414 | $23,096 | $37,520 | $46,296 | $52,289 | $64,150 | $68,845 | $72,669 | $102,667 | $92,614 |
1993 | $40,324 | $17,450 | $22,523 | $35,979 | $44,153 | $49,622 | $64,537 | $70,349 | $75,645 | $109,900 | $93,712 |
1995 | $42,235 | $18,031 | $21,933 | $37,609 | $44,537 | $50,485 | $63,357 | $69,584 | $77,865 | $98,302 | $95,899 |
1997 | $43,648 | $17,762 | $22,688 | $38,607 | $45,734 | $51,726 | $67,487 | $72,338 | $77,850 | $105,409 | $99,699 |
1999 | $46,236 | $19,008 | $23,977 | $39,322 | $48,588 | $54,282 | $70,925 | $76,958 | $82,097 | $110,383 | $107,217 |
2001 | $42,900 | $18,830 | $24,162 | $37,468 | $47,605 | $53,166 | $69,796 | $75,116 | $81,993 | $103,918 | $96,442 |
2003 | $45,016 | $18,787 | $22,718 | $36,835 | $45,854 | $56,970 | $68,728 | $73,446 | $78,541 | $100,000 | $96,830 |
Average | $43,376 | $18,183 | $23,013 | $37,620 | $46,109 | $51,934 | $66,997 | $72,376 | $78,094 | $104,368 | $94,487 |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2003[39]
Age of householder
Household income in the United States varies substantially with the age of the person who heads the household. Overall, the median household income increased with the age of householder until
Households headed by persons between the ages of 45 and 54 had a median household income of $61,111 and a mean household income of $77,634. The
The group with the second highest median household income, were households headed by persons between the ages 35 and 44 with a median income of $56,785, followed by those in the age group between 55 and 64 with $50,400. Not surprisingly the lowest income group was composed of those households headed by individuals younger than 24, followed by those headed by persons over the age of 75. Overall, households headed by persons above the age of seventy-five had a median household income of $20,467 with the median household income per member of household being $18,645. These figures support the general assumption that median household income as well as the
Household size
While median household income has a tendency to increase up to four persons per household, it declines for households beyond four persons. For example, in the state of Alabama in 2004, two-person households had a median income of $39,755, with $48,957 for three-person households, $54,338 for four-person households, $50,905 for five-person households, $45,435 for six-person households, with seven-or-more-person households having the second lowest median income of only $42,471.[50]
Geography and Socioeconomic correlations
Considering other racial and geographical differences in regards to household income, it should come as no surprise that the
Regionally, in 2010, the Northeast reached a median income of $53,283, the West, $53,142, the South, $45,492, and the Midwest, $48,445.[52] Each figure represents a decline from the previous year.
Median household income by state
In 2007, the
When grouped by
The
As of 2019, the median household income ranged from $20,474 in
All data is from the 2009–2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.[57][58][59][60][61]
Rank | Change* / |
State or territory |
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | District of Columbia | $92,266 | $85,203 | $82,336 | $75,506 | $75,628 | $71,648 | $67,572 | $65,246 | $66,583 | $63,124 | $59,290 |
2 | 1 | Maryland | $86,738 | $83,242 | $80,776 | $78,945 | $75,847 | $73,971 | $72,483 | $71,836 | $70,004 | $68,854 | $69,272 |
3 | 3 | Massachusetts | $85,843 | $79,835 | $77,385 | $75,297 | $70,628 | $69,160 | $66,768 | $65,339 | $62,859 | $62,072 | $64,081 |
4 | 2 | New Jersey | $85,751 | $81,740 | $80,088 | $76,126 | $72,222 | $72,919 | $70,165 | $69,667 | $67,458 | $67,681 | $68,342 |
5 | Hawaii | $83,102 | $80,212 | $77,765 | $74,511 | $73,486 | $69,592 | $68,020 | $66,259 | $61,821 | $63,030 | $64,098 | |
6 | 4 | California | $80,440 | $75,277 | $71,805 | $67,739 | $64,500 | $61,933 | $60,190 | $58,328 | $57,287 | $57,708 | $58,931 |
7 | 4 | Connecticut | $78,833 | $76,348 | $74,168 | $73,433 | $71,346 | $70,048 | $67,098 | $67,276 | $65,753 | $64,032 | $67,034 |
8 | 4 | Washington | $78,687 | $74,043 | $70,979 | $67,106 | $64,129 | $61,366 | $58,405 | $57,573 | $56,835 | $55,631 | $56,548 |
9 | 2 | New Hampshire | $77,933 | $74,991 | $73,381 | $70,936 | $70,303 | $66,532 | $64,230 | $63,280 | $62,647 | $61,042 | $60,567 |
10 | 4 | Colorado | $77,127 | $71,953 | $69,117 | $65,685 | $63,909 | $61,303 | $58,823 | $56,765 | $55,387 | $54,046 | $55,430 |
11 | 3 | Virginia | $76,456 | $72,577 | $71,535 | $68,114 | $66,262 | $64,902 | $62,666 | $61,741 | $61,882 | $60,674 | $59,330 |
12 | 3 | Utah | $75,780 | $71,414 | $68,358 | $65,977 | $62,912 | $60,922 | $59,770 | $57,049 | $55,869 | $54,744 | $55,117 |
13 | 9 | Alaska | $75,463 | $74,346 | $73,181 | $76,440 | $73,355 | $71,583 | $72,237 | $67,712 | $67,825 | $64,576 | $66,953 |
14 | 1 | Minnesota | $74,593 | $70,315 | $68,388 | $65,599 | $63,488 | $61,481 | $60,702 | $58,906 | $56,954 | $55,459 | $55,616 |
15 | 1 | New York | $72,108 | $67,844 | $64,894 | $62,909 | $60,850 | $58,878 | $57,369 | $56,448 | $55,246 | $54,148 | $54,659 |
16 | 1 | Rhode Island | $71,169 | $64,340 | $63,870 | $60,596 | $58,073 | $54,891 | $55,902 | $54,554 | $53,636 | $52,254 | $54,119 |
17 | 6 | Delaware | $70,176 | $64,805 | $62,852 | $61,757 | $61,255 | $59,716 | $57,846 | $54,554 | $58,814 | $55,847 | $56,860 |
18 | Illinois | $69,187 | $65,030 | $62,992 | $60,960 | $59,588 | $57,444 | $56,210 | $55,137 | $53,234 | $52,972 | $53,966 | |
19 | 6 | Oregon | $67,058 | $63,246 | $60,212 | $57,532 | $54,148 | $51,075 | $50,251 | $49,161 | $46,816 | $46,560 | $48,457 |
20 | Wyoming | $65,003 | $61,584 | $60,434 | $59,882 | $60,214 | $57,055 | $58,752 | $54,901 | $56,322 | $53,512 | $52,664 | |
21 | 8 | North Dakota | $64,577 | $63,837 | $61,843 | $60,656 | $60,557 | $59,029 | $55,759 | $53,585 | $51,704 | $48,670 | $47,827 |
22 | Wisconsin | $64,168 | $60,773 | $59,305 | $56,811 | $55,638 | $52,622 | $51,467 | $51,059 | $50,395 | $49,001 | $49,993 | |
23 | 4 | Texas | $64,034 | $60,629 | $59,206 | $56,565 | $55,653 | $53,035 | $51,704 | $50,740 | $49,392 | $48,615 | $48,259 |
24 | –1 | Pennsylvania | $63,463 | $60,905 | $59,195 | $56,907 | $55,702 | $53,234 | $52,007 | $51,230 | $50,228 | $49,288 | $49,520 |
25 | 6 | Nevada | $63,276 | $58,646 | $58,003 | $55,180 | $52,431 | $51,450 | $51,230 | $49,760 | $48,927 | $51,001 | $53,341 |
26 | Nebraska | $63,229 | $59,566 | $59,970 | $56,927 | $54,996 | $52,686 | $51,440 | $50,723 | $50,296 | $52,504 | $48,408 | |
27 | 6 | Vermont | $63,001 | $60,782 | $57,513 | $57,677 | $56,990 | $54,166 | $52,578 | $52,997 | $52,776 | $49,406 | $51,618 |
28 | 2 | Kansas | $62,087 | $58,218 | $56,422 | $54,935 | $53,906 | $52,504 | $50,972 | $50,241 | $48,264 | $48,257 | $47,817 |
29 | 5 | Arizona | $62,055 | $59,246 | $56,581 | $53,558 | $51,492 | $50,068 | $48,510 | $47,826 | $46,709 | $46,789 | $48,745 |
30 | 8 | Georgia | $61,980 | $58,756 | $56,183 | $53,559 | $51,244 | $49,321 | $47,829 | $47,209 | $46,007 | $46,430 | $44,736 |
31 | 3 | Iowa | $61,691 | $59,955 | $58,570 | $56,247 | $54,736 | $53,712 | $52,229 | $50,957 | $49,427 | $47,961 | $48,044 |
32 | 5 | Idaho | $60,999 | $55,583 | $52,225 | $51,807 | $48,275 | $47,861 | $46,783 | $45,489 | $43,341 | $43,490 | $44,926 |
33 | 1 | Michigan | $59,584 | $56,697 | $54,909 | $52,492 | $51,084 | $49,847 | $48,273 | $46,859 | $45,981 | $45,413 | $45,255 |
34 | 2 | South Dakota | $59,533 | $56,274 | $56,894 | $54,467 | $53,017 | $50,979 | $48,947 | $48,362 | $48,321 | $45,904 | $45,043 |
35 | 4 | Florida | $59,227 | $55,462 | $52,594 | $50,860 | $49,426 | $47,463 | $46,036 | $45,040 | $44,299 | $44,409 | $44,736 |
36 | 5 | Maine | $58,924 | $55,602 | $56,277 | $53,079 | $51,494 | $49,462 | $46,974 | $46,709 | $46,033 | $45,815 | $45,734 |
37 | 4 | Ohio | $58,642 | $56,111 | $54,021 | $52,334 | $51,075 | $49,308 | $48,081 | $46,829 | $45,749 | $45,090 | $45,395 |
38 | 6 | Indiana | $57,603 | $55,746 | $54,181 | $52,314 | $50,532 | $49,446 | $47,529 | $46,974 | $46,438 | $44,613 | $45,424 |
39 | 4 | Missouri | $57,409 | $54,478 | $53,578 | $51,746 | $50,238 | $48,363 | $46,931 | $45,321 | $45,247 | $44,301 | $45,229 |
40 | North Carolina | $57,341 | $53,855 | $52,752 | $50,584 | $47,830 | $46,556 | $45,906 | $45,150 | $43,916 | $43,326 | $43,674 | |
41 | 3 | Montana | $57,153 | $55,328 | $53,386 | $50,027 | $49,509 | $46,328 | $46,972 | $45,076 | $44,222 | $42,666 | $42,322 |
42 | South Carolina | $56,227 | $52,306 | $50,570 | $49,501 | $47,238 | $45,238 | $44,163 | $43,107 | $43,916 | $42,018 | $42,442 | |
43 | 2 | Tennessee | $56,071 | $52,375 | $51,340 | $48,547 | $47,275 | $44,361 | $44,297 | $42,764 | $41,693 | $41,461 | $41,725 |
44 | 2 | Oklahoma | $54,449 | $51,924 | $50,051 | $49,176 | $48,568 | $47,529 | $45,690 | $44,312 | $43,225 | $42,072 | $41,664 |
45 | 3 | Kentucky | $52,295 | $50,247 | $48,375 | $46,659 | $44,765 | $42,958 | $43,399 | $41,724 | $41,141 | $40,062 | $40,072 |
46 | 5 | New Mexico | $51,945 | $47,169 | $46,744 | $46,748 | $45,382 | $44,803 | $43,872 | $42,558 | $41,963 | $42,090 | $43,028 |
47 | Alabama | $51,734 | $49,861 | $48,123 | $46,257 | $44,765 | $42,830 | $42,849 | $41,574 | $41,415 | $40,474 | $40,489 | |
48 | 5 | Louisiana | $51,073 | $47,905 | $46,145 | $45,146 | $45,727 | $44,555 | $44,164 | $42,944 | $41,734 | $42,505 | $42,429 |
49 | 2 | Arkansas | $48,952 | $47,062 | $45,869 | $45,907 | $42,798 | $44,922 | $39,376 | $39,018 | $41,302 | $38,587 | $36,538 |
50 | 1 | West Virginia | $48,850 | $44,097 | $43,469 | $43,385 | $42,019 | $41,059 | $41,253 | $40,196 | $38,482 | $37,218 | $37,435 |
51 | 1 | Mississippi | $45,792 | $44,717 | $43,529 | $41,754 | $40,593 | $39,680 | $37,963 | $37,095 | $36,919 | $36,851 | $36,646 |
52 | Puerto Rico | $20,474 | $20,296 | $19,775 | $20,078 | $18,810 | $18,948 | $19,183 | $19,630 | — | — | — |
*change since 2009
The median personal income per person, after adjusting for costs of living with local regional price parities and the national PCE price index, averaged $47,807 in 2016 (in 2012 chained dollars). Median adjusted personal income per capita varied from $39,901 in Mississippi to $61,601 in Connecticut (and $64,363 in the District of Columbia). The states closest to the national average were California and Vermont, at $48,384 and $47,971 respectively.[62]
Median household income by U.S. territory
Below is the median household income for the U.S. territories in 2010 (for four of the five inhabited territories).[63] Note that Puerto Rico is not included in this table, and is instead included in the table above (because Puerto Rico is included in the ACS, as if it were a state).
Rank | Territory | 2010 U.S. Census |
---|---|---|
1 | Guam | $48,274 |
2 | U.S. Virgin Islands |
$37,254 |
3 | American Samoa | $23,892 |
4 | Northern Mariana Islands | $19,958 |
Counties and their correlations between Median Household Income and other factors
There are 3,144
Median Household Income greater than or equal $135,000
Overall | Category | County or Equivalent | State | Median Household Income | Majority Minority Status | Presidential Election Result | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||||
1 | 1 | Loudoun | Virginia | $153,716 | NO | Bush | Bush | Obama | Obama | Clinton | Biden |
2 | 2 | Falls Church | Virginia | $142,430 | NO | Gore | Kerry | Obama | Obama | Clinton | Biden |
3 | 3 | Santa Clara | California | $141,161 | YES | Gore | Kerry | Obama | Obama | Clinton | Biden |
Median Household Income greater than or equal $125,000
Overall | Category | County or Equivalent | State | Median Household Income | Majority Minority Status | Presidential Election Result | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||||
4 | 1 | Los Alamos | New Mexico | $134,050 | NO | Bush | Bush | Obama | Obama | Clinton | Biden |
5 | 2 | Fairfax | Virginia | $133,845 | YES | Bush | Kerry | Obama | Obama | Clinton | Biden |
6 | 3 | Howard | Maryland | $131,412 | YES | Gore | Kerry | Obama | Obama | Clinton | Biden |
7 | 4 | San Mateo | California | $131,151 | YES | Gore | Kerry | Obama | Obama | Clinton | Biden |
8 | 5 | Douglas | Colorado | $129,839 | NO | Bush | Bush | McCain | Romney | Trump | Trump |
9 | 6 | Nassau | New York | $125,118 | NO | Gore | Kerry | Obama | Obama | Clinton | Biden |
Median Household Income greater than or equal $115,000
Median Household Income greater than or equal $105,000
Median Household Income greater than or equal $95,000
Median Household Income greater than or equal $85,000
Median Household Income greater than or equal $75,000
Social class
Household income is one of the most commonly used measures of income and, therefore, also one of the most prominent indicators of social class. Household income and education do not, however, always reflect perceived class status correctly. Sociologist Dennis Gilbert acknowledges that "... the class structure... does not exactly match the distribution of household income" with "the mismatch [being] greatest in the middle..." (Gilbert, 1998: 92) As social classes commonly overlap, it is not possible to define exact class boundaries.
According to
Dennis Gilbert, 2002 | William Thompson & Joseph Hickey, 2005 | Leonard Beeghley, 2004 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class | Typical characteristics | Class | Typical characteristics | Class | Typical characteristics |
Capitalist class (1%) | Top-level executives, high-rung politicians, heirs. Ivy League education common. | Upper class (1%) | Top-level executives, celebrities, heirs; income of $500,000+ common. Ivy league education common. | The super-rich (0.9%) | Multi-millionaires whose incomes commonly exceed $3.5 million or more; includes celebrities and powerful executives/politicians. Ivy League education common. |
Upper middle class[1] (15%) | Highly-educated (often with graduate degrees), most commonly salaried, professionals and middle management with large work autonomy. | Upper middle class[1] (15%) | Highly-educated (often with graduate degrees) professionals & managers with household incomes varying from the high 5-figure range to commonly above $100,000. | The rich (5%) | Households with net worth of $1 million or more; largely in the form of home equity. Generally have college degrees. |
Middle class (plurality/ majority?; ca. 46%) |
College-educated workers with considerably higher-than-average incomes and compensation; a man making $57,000 and a woman making $40,000 may be typical. | ||||
Lower middle class (30%) | Semi-professionals and craftsmen with a roughly average standard of living. Most have some college education and are white-collar. | Lower middle class (32%) | Semi-professionals and craftsmen with some work autonomy; household incomes commonly range from $35,000 to $75,000. Typically, some college education. | ||
Working class (30%) | Clerical and most blue-collar workers whose work is highly routinized. Standard of living varies depending on number of income earners, but is commonly just adequate. High school education. | ||||
Working class (32%) | Clerical, pink- and blue-collar workers with often low job security; common household incomes range from $16,000 to $30,000. High school education. | Working class (ca. 40–45%) |
Blue-collar workers and those whose jobs are highly routinized with low economic security; a man making $40,000 and a woman making $26,000 may be typical. High school education. | ||
Working poor (13%) | Service, low-rung clerical and some blue-collar workers. High economic insecurity and risk of poverty. Some high school education. | ||||
Lower class (ca. 14–20%) | Those who occupy poorly-paid positions or rely on government transfers. Some high school education. | ||||
Underclass (12%) | Those with limited or no participation in the labor force. Reliant on government transfers. Some high school education. | The poor (ca. 12%) | Those living below the poverty line with limited to no participation in the labor force; a household income of $18,000 may be typical. Some high school education. | ||
|
Distribution of household income
Distribution of household income in 2022 according to US Census data
Income of Household | Number (thousands) [64] | Percent in Group | Percent At or Below | Mean Income [64] | Mean number of earners [65] | Mean size of household [65] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 131,400 | — | — | $106,400 | 1.30 | 2.51 |
Under $5,000 | 4,305 | 3.28 | 3.28 | $877 | 0.13 | 1.89 |
$5,000 to $9,999 | 2,131 | 1.62 | 4.90 | $7,626 | 0.41 | 1.75 |
$10,000 to $14,999 | 4,536 | 3.45 | 8.35 | $12,440 | 0.27 | 1.54 |
$15,000 to $19,999 | 4,725 | 3.60 | 11.95 | $17,350 | 0.37 | 1.62 |
$20,000 to $24,999 | 5,047 | 3.84 | 15.79 | $22,250 | 0.51 | 1.76 |
$25,000 to $29,999 | 4,728 | 3.60 | 19.39 | $27,210 | 0.59 | 1.95 |
$30,000 to $34,999 | 5,285 | 4.02 | 23.41 | $32,000 | 0.75 | 2.03 |
$35,000 to $39,999 | 4,674 | 3.56 | 26.96 | $37,080 | 0.82 | 2.11 |
$40,000 to $44,999 | 4,761 | 3.62 | 30.59 | $41,960 | 0.89 | 2.17 |
$45,000 to $49,999 | 4,453 | 3.39 | 33.98 | $47,130 | 0.98 | 2.23 |
$50,000 to $54,999 | 4,838 | 3.68 | 37.66 | $51,880 | 1.06 | 2.27 |
$55,000 to $59,999 | 4,252 | 3.24 | 40.89 | $57,030 | 1.10 | 2.31 |
$60,000 to $64,999 | 4,463 | 3.40 | 44.29 | $61,880 | 1.19 | 2.40 |
$65,000 to $69,999 | 3,867 | 2.94 | 47.23 | $67,100 | 1.26 | 2.46 |
$70,000 to $74,999 | 3,904 | 2.97 | 50.20 | $71,990 | 1.30 | 2.51 |
$75,000 to $79,999 | 3,669 | 2.79 | 53.00 | $76,970 | 1.41 | 2.50 |
$80,000 to $84,999 | 3,505 | 2.67 | 55.66 | $81,950 | 1.43 | 2.61 |
$85,000 to $89,999 | 3,061 | 2.33 | 57.99 | $87,090 | 1.50 | 2.68 |
$90,000 to $94,999 | 3,132 | 2.38 | 60.38 | $91,930 | 1.54 | 2.69 |
$95,000 to $99,999 | 2,838 | 2.16 | 62.54 | $97,140 | 1.60 | 2.77 |
$100,000 to $104,999 | 3,312 | 2.52 | 65.06 | $101,800 | 1.59 | 2.66 |
$105,000 to $109,999 | 2,321 | 1.77 | 66.82 | $107,100 | 1.67 | 2.89 |
$110,000 to $114,999 | 2,462 | 1.87 | 68.70 | $112,000 | 1.78 | 3.02 |
$115,000 to $119,999 | 2,188 | 1.67 | 70.36 | $117,100 | 1.81 | 2.89 |
$120,000 to $124,999 | 2,421 | 1.84 | 72.21 | $121,800 | 1.71 | 2.90 |
$125,000 to $129,999 | 2,086 | 1.59 | 73.79 | $127,100 | 1.80 | 2.99 |
$130,000 to $134,999 | 1,996 | 1.52 | 75.31 | $132,000 | 1.87 | 3.07 |
$135,000 to $139,999 | 1,730 | 1.32 | 76.63 | $137,000 | 1.82 | 3.01 |
$140,000 to $144,999 | 1,680 | 1.28 | 77.91 | $141,900 | 1.92 | 3.05 |
$145,000 to $149,999 | 1,375 | 1.05 | 78.95 | $147,200 | 2.00 | 2.95 |
$150,000 to $154,999 | 2,005 | 1.53 | 80.48 | $151,900 | 1.84 | 2.91 |
$155,000 to $159,999 | 1,389 | 1.06 | 81.54 | $157,000 | 1.99 | 3.06 |
$160,000 to $164,999 | 1,461 | 1.11 | 82.65 | $162,000 | 1.89 | 2.90 |
$165,000 to $169,999 | 1,131 | 0.86 | 83.51 | $167,100 | 2.06 | 3.14 |
$170,000 to $174,999 | 1,144 | 0.87 | 84.38 | $172,100 | 2.02 | 3.25 |
$175,000 to $179,999 | 1,043 | 0.79 | 85.17 | $177,100 | 2.07 | 3.22 |
$180,000 to $184,999 | 1,106 | 0.84 | 86.02 | $182,100 | 2.07 | 3.26 |
$185,000 to $189,999 | 921 | 0.70 | 86.72 | $187,100 | 2.14 | 3.12 |
$190,000 to $194,999 | 940 | 0.72 | 87.43 | $192,100 | 2.16 | 3.36 |
$195,000 to $199,999 | 889 | 0.68 | 88.11 | $197,200 | 2.08 | 3.26 |
$200,000 to $249,999 | 6,024 | 4.58 | 92.69 | $221,100 | 2.11 | 3.24 |
$250,000 and over | 9,636 | 7.33 | 100.00 | $426,600 |
See also
- List of countries by average wage
- List of U.S. states by socioeconomic factors
- Income inequality in the United States
- Economy of the United States
- Personal income in the United States
- Employee compensation in the United States
- Standard of living in the United States
General:
- Income inequality metrics
- International Ranking of Household Income
- Marriage gap
- Median income per household member
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External links
This section needs to be updated.(July 2023) |
- Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2003
- Reynolds, Alan (January 8, 2007). "Has U.S. Income Inequality Really Increased?" (PDF). Policy Analysis. CATO Institute.
- U.S. Census Bureau's web-site for income statistics
- NPR.org statistics and background on income inequality in the United States
- Datasets by U.S. State of low income, very low income, extremely low income limits