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U.S. Household IncomesA Snapshot

Federal Reserve Bank of San FranciscoEconomic Education Group

Date last updated: October 6, 2014

123 Million U.S. Households

in 2013

$72,641Mean HH Income

4.8% of HH earned

$200,000 or more

$51,939Median HH

Income

3.3% of HH earned less

than

$5,000

Households include all family and non-family members living in the same house or apartment.

Household income is the sum of all money income earned by all members of the household ages 15 and up.

Mean (average) HH income is a calculated value =

Total $ HH IncomeTotal # of HHs

Median HH income is the value that lies at the center of all HH incomes (ranked from lowest to highest), where half the values lie above and half lie below.

The income distribution may be unbalanced or “skewed” in one direction (positive or negative), causing the mean and the median to be unequal.

Quick Start: Household (HH) Income in 2013

DataPost http://www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Economic Education Group

Less than $5K

$5K to $9,999

$10K to $14,999

$15K to $19,999

$20K to $24,999

$25K to $29,999

$30K to $34,999

$35K to $39,999

$40K to $44,999

$45K to $49,999

$50K to $54,999

$55K to $59,999

$60K to $64,999

$65K to $69,999

$70K to $74,999

$75K to $79,999

$80K to $84,999

$85K to $89,999

$90K to $94,999

$95K to $99,999

$100K to $104,999

$105K to $109,999

$110K to $114,999

$115K to $119,999

$120K to $124,999

$125K to $129,999

$130K to $134,999

$135K to $139,999

$140K to $144,999

$145K to $149,999

$150K to $154,999

$155K to $159,999

$160K to $164,999

$165K to $169,999

$170K to $174,999

$175K to $179,999

$180K to $184,999

$185K to $189,999

$190K to $194,999

$195K to $199,999

$200K and more

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

% o

f Hou

seho

lds

DataPost

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2014 Annual Social and Economic Supplement & FRBSF Calculations

Distribution of U.S. Household IncomeTotal Money Income in 2013

2013 Median = $51,939

2013 Mean = $72,641

This group includes households reporting income greater than or

equal to $200K.

HH Income categories in $5,000 increments

http://www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Economic Education Group

What are the Facts?1. If you ignore the last group (incomes equal to or greater than $200,000),

how would you describe the shape of the household income distribution? (See slide 3)

2. What percentage of U.S. households earned between $75,000 and $79,999 per year in 2013? (See slide 3)

3. What was the dollar amount difference between median and mean (average) household income in 2013? (See slide 3)

4. What percentage of U.S. households earned less than $51,939? What percentage earned greater than $51,939? (See slides 2 or 3)

5. Why do you suppose household incomes of $200,000 or greater are grouped together?

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View an in-depth talk about income inequality on our YouTube Channel

http://www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Economic Education Group