In 2023, just over 50 percent of Americans had an annual household income that was less than 75,000 U.S. dollars. The median household income was 80,610 U.S. dollars in 2023.
Income and wealth in the United States
After the economic recession in 2009, income inequality in the U.S. is more prominent across many metropolitan areas. The Northeast region is regarded as one of the wealthiest in the country. Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts were among the states with the highest median household income in 2020. In terms of income by race and ethnicity, the average income of Asian households was 94,903 U.S. dollars in 2020, while the median income for Black households was around half of that figure.
What is the U.S. poverty threshold?
The U.S. Census Bureau annually updates its list of poverty levels. Preliminary estimates show that the average poverty threshold for a family of four people was 26,500 U.S. dollars in 2021, which is around 100 U.S. dollars less than the previous year. There were an estimated 37.9 million people in poverty across the United States in 2021, which was around 11.6 percent of the population. Approximately 19.5 percent of those in poverty were Black, while 8.2 percent were white.
Percentage distribution of household income in the United States in 2023
Income in 2021 CPI-U-RS adjusted dollars.
Income refers to money income before tax. A detailed explanation of the measurement of income can be found on page 21 of the report.
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US Census Bureau. (September 16, 2024). Percentage distribution of household income in the United States in 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/203183/percentage-distribution-of-household-income-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Percentage distribution of household income in the United States in 2023." Chart. September 16, 2024. Statista. Accessed November 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/203183/percentage-distribution-of-household-income-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. (2024). Percentage distribution of household income in the United States in 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/203183/percentage-distribution-of-household-income-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Percentage Distribution of Household Income in The United States in 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 16 Sep 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/203183/percentage-distribution-of-household-income-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau, Percentage distribution of household income in the United States in 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/203183/percentage-distribution-of-household-income-in-the-us/ (last visited November 24, 2024)
Percentage distribution of household income in the United States in 2023 [Graph], US Census Bureau, September 16, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/203183/percentage-distribution-of-household-income-in-the-us/