Most populated cities in the U.S. - median household income 2019
In 2019 San Francisco had the highest median household income of cities ranking within the top 25 in terms of population, with a median household income in of 123,859 U.S. dollars. In that year, San Jose in California was ranked second, and Seattle, Washington third.
Following a fall after the great recession, median household income in the United States has been increasing in recent years. In 2007, before the worst of the recession, median household income was 56,436 U.S. dollars nationwide. As of 2013, median household income had dropped by roughly 3,800 U.S. dollars to 52,850 U.S. dollars, but has since increased to reach 68,703 dollars in 2019. As of 2019, median household income by state was highest in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Hawaii and New Jersey. It was lowest in Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico. Families with an annual income of 25,000 and 49,999 U.S. dollars made up the largest income bracket in America, with about 24.97 million households.
Data on median household income can be compared to statistics on personal income in the U.S. released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal income rose to 18.56 trillion U.S. dollars in 2019, the highest value recorded. Personal income is a measure of the total income received by persons from all sources, while median household income is “the amount with divides the income distribution into two equal groups,” according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Half of the population in question lives above median income and half lives below. Though total personal income has increased in recent years, this wealth is not distributed throughout the population. In practical terms, income of most households has decreased. One additional statistic illustrates this disparity: for the lowest quintile of workers, mean household income has remained more or less steady for the past decade at about 13 to 15 thousand constant U.S. dollars annually. Meanwhile, income for the top five percent of workers has actually risen from about 244,138 U.S. dollars in 1990 to about 451,122 U.S. dollars in 2019.
Following a fall after the great recession, median household income in the United States has been increasing in recent years. In 2007, before the worst of the recession, median household income was 56,436 U.S. dollars nationwide. As of 2013, median household income had dropped by roughly 3,800 U.S. dollars to 52,850 U.S. dollars, but has since increased to reach 68,703 dollars in 2019. As of 2019, median household income by state was highest in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Hawaii and New Jersey. It was lowest in Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico. Families with an annual income of 25,000 and 49,999 U.S. dollars made up the largest income bracket in America, with about 24.97 million households.
Data on median household income can be compared to statistics on personal income in the U.S. released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal income rose to 18.56 trillion U.S. dollars in 2019, the highest value recorded. Personal income is a measure of the total income received by persons from all sources, while median household income is “the amount with divides the income distribution into two equal groups,” according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Half of the population in question lives above median income and half lives below. Though total personal income has increased in recent years, this wealth is not distributed throughout the population. In practical terms, income of most households has decreased. One additional statistic illustrates this disparity: for the lowest quintile of workers, mean household income has remained more or less steady for the past decade at about 13 to 15 thousand constant U.S. dollars annually. Meanwhile, income for the top five percent of workers has actually risen from about 244,138 U.S. dollars in 1990 to about 451,122 U.S. dollars in 2019.
