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Table Data - Real Median Household Income in the United States

NOTE: To improve accessibility of data for all users, this file was converted from a text format to an html table.

Title Real Median Household Income in the United States
Series ID MEHOINUSA672N
Source U.S. Census Bureau
Release Income and Poverty in the United States
Seasonal Adjustment Not Seasonally Adjusted
Frequency Annual
Units 2022 CPI-U-RS Adjusted Dollars
Date Range 1984-01-01 to 2022-01-01
Last Updated 2023-09-12 1:48 PM CDT
Notes Household data are collected as of March.

As stated in the Census's Source and Accuracy of Estimates for Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011.

Estimation of Median Incomes. The Census Bureau has changed the methodology for computing median income over time. The Census Bureau has computed medians using either Pareto interpolation or linear interpolation. Currently, we are using linear interpolation to estimate all medians. Pareto interpolation assumes a decreasing density of population within an income interval, whereas linear interpolation assumes a constant density of population within an income interval. The Census Bureau calculated estimates of median income and associated standard errors for 1979 through 1987 using Pareto interpolation if the estimate was larger than $20,000 for people or $40,000 for families and households. This is because the width of the income interval containing the estimate is greater than $2,500.

We calculated estimates of median income and associated standard errors for 1976, 1977, and 1978 using Pareto interpolation if the estimate was larger than $12,000 for people or $18,000 for families and households. This is because the width of the income interval containing the estimate is greater than $1,000. All other estimates of median income and associated standard errors for 1976 through 2011 (2012 ASEC) and almost all of the estimates of median income and associated standard errors for 1975 and earlier were calculated using linear interpolation.

Thus, use caution when comparing median incomes above $12,000 for people or $18,000 for families and households for different years. Median incomes below those levels are more comparable from year to year since they have always been calculated using linear interpolation. For an indication of the comparability of medians calculated using Pareto interpolation with medians calculated using linear interpolation, see Series P-60, Number 114, Money Income in 1976 of Families and Persons in the United States.
DATE VALUE
1984-01-01 56780
1985-01-01 57860
1986-01-01 60010
1987-01-01 60760
1988-01-01 61210
1989-01-01 62260
1990-01-01 61500
1991-01-01 59710
1992-01-01 59210
1993-01-01 58920
1994-01-01 59550
1995-01-01 61440
1996-01-01 62350
1997-01-01 63640
1998-01-01 65980
1999-01-01 67650
2000-01-01 67470
2001-01-01 66360
2002-01-01 65820
2003-01-01 65860
2004-01-01 65760
2005-01-01 66780
2006-01-01 67520
2007-01-01 68610
2008-01-01 66280
2009-01-01 65850
2010-01-01 64300
2011-01-01 63350
2012-01-01 63350
2013-01-01 65740
2014-01-01 64900
2015-01-01 68410
2016-01-01 70840
2017-01-01 72090
2018-01-01 73030
2019-01-01 78250
2020-01-01 76660
2021-01-01 76330
2022-01-01 74580

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