Household income distribution in the United States in 2019

In 2019, a little more than 53 percent of Americans had an annual household income that was less than 75,000 U.S. dollars. The median household income increased for the fifth consecutive year, reaching 68,703 U.S. dollars.

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 2019. In terms of income by race and ethnicity, the average income of Asian households was 98,174 U.S. dollars, while the median income for Black households was less than 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 26,167 U.S. dollars in 2019, which is around 460 U.S. dollars more than the previous year. There were an estimated 34 million people in poverty across the United States in 2019, which was around ten percent of the population. Approximately 19 percent of those in poverty were Black, while seven percent were white.