Here's a look at the US's income and poverty levels for 2016

This fact sheet provides key numbers from Tuesday's new Census
reports,Income and Poverty in the United States:
2016andThe Supplemental Poverty Measure:
2016. Each section has headline statistics from the
reports for 2016, as well as comparisons to the previous year, to
2007 (the final year of the economic expansion that preceded the
Great Recession), and to 2000 (the historical high point for many
of the statistics in these reports.) All dollar values are
adjusted for inflation (2016 dollars).

Earnings

Median annual earnings for men working full time fell 0.4
percent, to $51,640, in 2016, although this change was not
statistically significant.Men’s earnings are down 1.1
percent since 2007, and are still 0.6 percent lower than they
were in 2000.

Median annual earnings for women working full time rose
0.7 percent, to $41,554, in 2016—also statistically no different
than women’s earnings in 2015.Women’s
earnings are up 2.3 percent since 2007, and are 8.5 percent
higher than they were in 2000.

Median annual earnings for men working full time in 2016:
$51,640

Change over time:

2015–2016: -0.4%

2007–2016: -1.1%

2000–2016: -0.6%

Median annual earnings for women working full time in
2016: $41,554

Change over time:

2015–2016: 0.7%

2007–2016: 2.3%

2000–2016: 8.5%

Incomes

Median household income rose 3.2 percent, to $59,039, in
2016.Median household income is down
1.6 percent since 2007, and is still 2.3 percent lower than
it was in 2000.

Median non-elderly household income rose 3.6 percent, to
$66,487, in 2016.Median non-elderly
household income is down 1.5 percent since 2007, and
is still 4.9 percent lower than it was in 2000.

Median household income in 2016: $59,039

Change over time:

2015–2016:3.2%

2007–2016: -1.6%

2000–2016: -2.3%

Median non-elderly household income in 2016: $66,487

Change over time:

2015–2016: 3.6%

2007–2016: -1.5%

2000–2016: -4.9%

Median household income for white, non-Hispanic
households rose 2.0 percent, to $65,041, in
2016.Median household income is still
down 0.8 percent since 2007, and is still 0.9 percent lower
than it was in 2000.

Median household income for African American households
rose 5.7 percent, to $39,490, in
2016.Median household income is down
2.5 percent since 2007, and is still 7.5 percent lower than
it was in 2000.

Median household income for Hispanic households rose 4.3
percent, to $47,675, in 2016.Median
household income is up 3.2 percent since 2007, and is 0.1 percent
lower than it was in 2000.

Median white, non-Hispanic household income in 2016:
$65,041

Change over time:

2015–2016: 2.0%

2007–2016: -0.8%

2000–2016: -0.9%

Median African American household income in 2016:
$39,490

Change over time:

2015–2016: 5.7%

2007–2016: -2.5%

2000–2016: -7.5%

Median Hispanic household income in 2016: $47,675

Change over time:

2015–2016: 4.3%

2007–2016: 3.2%

2000–2016: -0.1%

Poverty

The poverty rate fell 0.8 percentage points, to 12.7
percent, in 2016.The poverty rate
is 0.2 percentage points higher than in 2007, although this
difference is not statistically significant. The poverty rate is
still 1.4 percentage points higher than it was in 2000.

The child poverty rate fell 1.7 percentage points, to
18.0 percent, in 2016.The child poverty rate was the
same in 2016 as it was in 2007, although it is still 1.8
percentage points higher than it was in 2000.

Poverty rate in 2016: 12.7%

Change over time:

2015–2016: -0.8 percentage points

2007–2016: 0.2 percentage points

2000–2016: 1.4 percentage points

Poverty rate for children in 2016: 18.0%

Change over time:

2015–2016: -1.7 percentage points

2007–2016: 0.0 percentage points

2000–2016: 1.8 percentage points

The white, non-Hispanic poverty rate fell 0.3
percentage points, to 8.8 percent, in
2016.The white,
non-Hispanic poverty rate is 0.6 percentage points higher
than in 2007, and is 1.4 percentage points higher than it was in
2000.

The African American poverty rate fell 2.1 percentage
points, to 22.0 percent, in 2016.The
African American poverty rate is 2.5 percentage points lower than
in 2007, and is now 0.5 percentage points lower than it was in
2000.

The Hispanic poverty rate fell 2.0 percentage points, to
19.4 percent, in 2016.The Hispanic
poverty rate is 2.1 percentage points lower than in 2007,
and is 2.1 percentage points lower than it was in 2000.

White, non-Hispanic poverty rate in 2016: 8.8%

Change over time:

2015–2016: -0.3 percentage points

2007–2016: 0.6 percentage points

2000–2016: 1.4 percentage points

African American poverty rate in 2016: 22.0%

Change over time:

2015–2016: -2.1 percentage points

2007–2016: -2.5 percentage points

2000–2016: -0.5 percentage points

Hispanic poverty rate in 2016: 19.4%

Change over time:

2015–2016: -2.0 percentage points

2007–2016: -2.1 percentage points

2000–2016: -2.1 percentage points

Policy matters

The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) is an alternative poverty
measure published by the Census Bureau since 2010 that is more
sophisticated than the official poverty measure referenced
earlier in this fact sheet. The SPM takes into account an array
of typical expenses—such as housing, food, clothing, health care,
and more—as well as people’s income from both market sources and
government programs. Using the Supplemental Poverty Measure, we
can evaluate how government assistance lifts people out of
poverty.

SPM poverty rate in 2016: 13.9%

Impact of government assistance on poverty as measured by
the SPM:

Social Security kept26.1 million
peopleout of poverty in 2016.

Refundable tax credits (such as the Earned Income Tax Credit)
kept8.2 million
peopleout of poverty in 2016.