what is the median income in the us
Household income in the United States One key measure is the real median level, meaning half of households have income above that level and half below, adjusted for inflation. According to the Census, this measure was $61,372 in 2017, an increase of $1,063 or 1.8% versus 2016, the second consecutive record level year. This measure was $60,309 in 2016 (up $1,833 or 3.1% vs. 2015) and $58,476 in 2015 (up $2,863 or 5.1% vs. 2014).[2]
Poverty in the United States Estimates of the number of Americans living in poverty are nuanced. One organization estimated that in 2015, 13.5% of Americans (43.1 million) lived in poverty.[6] Yet other scholars underscore the number of Americans living in "near-poverty," putting the number at around 100 million, equating to a third of the U.S. population.[7] Starting in the 1930s, relative poverty rates have consistently exceeded those of other wealthy nations.[8] The lowest poverty rates are found in New Hampshire, Vermont, Minnesota and Nebraska, which have between 8.7% and 9.1% of their population living in poverty.[9]