Title:               Real Median Household Income in the United States
Series ID:           MEHOINUSA672N
Source:              U.S. Bureau of the Census
Release:             Income and Poverty in the United States
Seasonal Adjustment: Not Seasonally Adjusted
Frequency:           Annual
Units:               2015 CPI-U-RS Adjusted Dollars
Date Range:          1984-01-01 to 2015-01-01
Last Updated:        2016-09-13 11:21 AM 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" (http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/p60_243sa.pdf)
                     
                     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
                     (www2.census.gov/prod2/popscan/p60-114.pdf).

DATE        VALUE
1984-01-01  48720
1985-01-01  49631
1986-01-01  51388
1987-01-01  52032
1988-01-01  52432
1989-01-01  53367
1990-01-01  52684
1991-01-01  51145
1992-01-01  50725
1993-01-01  50478
1994-01-01  51065
1995-01-01  52664
1996-01-01  53407
1997-01-01  54506
1998-01-01  56510
1999-01-01  57909
2000-01-01  57790
2001-01-01  56531
2002-01-01  55871
2003-01-01  55823
2004-01-01  55629
2005-01-01  56224
2006-01-01  56663
2007-01-01  57423
2008-01-01  55376
2009-01-01  54988
2010-01-01  53568
2011-01-01  52751
2012-01-01  52666
2013-01-01  54525
2014-01-01  53718
2015-01-01  56516