The average American household consisted of 2.51 people in 2023.

Households in the U.S.

As shown in the statistic, the number of people per household has decreased over the past decades.

The U.S. Census Bureau defines a household as follows: “a household includes all the persons who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence. A housing unit is a house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied (or if vacant, is intended for occupancy) as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live and eat separately from any other persons in the building and which have direct access from outside the building or through a common hall. The occupants may be a single family, one person living alone, two or more families living together, or any other group of related or unrelated persons who share living arrangements. (People not living in households are classified as living in group quarters.).”

The population of the United States has been growing steadily for decades. Since 1960, the number of households more than doubled from 53 million to over 131 million households in 2023.

Most of these households, about 34 percent, are two-person households. The distribution of U.S. households has changed over the years though. The percentage of single-person households has been on the rise since 1970 and made up the second largest proportion of households in the U.S. in 2022, at 28.88 percent.

In concordance with the rise of single-person households, the percentage of family households with own children living in the household has declined since 1970 from 56 percent to 40.26 percent in 2022.

Graph and download economic data for Mean Personal Income in the United States (MAPAINUSA646N) from 1974 to 2024 about average, personal income, personal, income, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Real Median Personal Income in the United States (MEPAINUSA672N) from 1974 to 2024 about personal income, personal, median, income, real, and USA.

The median age in the United States reached 39.2 years in 2024. This was up from 28.1 in 1970, reflecting a significant aging of the population. Over the coming decades, the number of retirees is projected to rise by about 40 percent by 2050. This demographic shift will present new challenges to American society, reshaping patterns of consumption, work and public policy in the decades ahead. Can an older America balance the books? Social Security spending is set to rise as America grows older. The program, which is the government’s main pillar of support for retirees, already absorbs about five percent of GDP. This could reach six percent by 2035. That trajectory will keep pressure on policymakers to balance promises to pensioners with broader fiscal constraints. A world growing older The aging trend is not unique to the U.S. The global median age reached 30.9 in 2025, up from 20.3 in 1970. By 2050, China, Japan and South Korea are expected to rank among the countries with the largest shares of people aged 65 and over. The change will oblige policymakers to adapt long-standing arrangements to societies where a larger share of people are in later life.

According to a survey conducted in 2024, Americans were divided on whether the average person in the United States can or cannot be trusted with a gun. However, a very slim majority believed that the average American could be trusted with a gun, at ** percent. In comparison, ** percent felt that the average American could not be trusted with a gun, while ** percent said that they were not sure.

The estimated median household income and estimated median family income are two separate measures: every family is a household, but not every household is a family. According to the U.S. Census Bureau definitions of the terms, a family “includes a householder and one or more people living in the same household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption,”[1] while a household “includes all the people who occupy a housing unit,” including households of just one person[2]. When evaluated together, the estimated median household income and estimated median family income provide a thorough picture of household-level economics in Champaign County.

Both estimated median household income and estimated median family income were higher in 2024 than in 2005. The change in estimated median household income between 2023 and 2024 was not statistically significant. However, the increase in estimated median family income between 2023 and 2024 was statistically significant. Estimated median family income is consistently higher than estimated median household income, largely due to the definitions of each term, and the types of household that are measured and are not measured in each category.

Median income data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates, which are released annually.

As with any datasets that are estimates rather than exact counts, it is important to take into account the margins of error (listed in the column beside each figure) when drawing conclusions from the data.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of providing the standard 1-year data products, the Census Bureau released experimental estimates from the 1-year data. This includes a limited number of data tables for the nation, states, and the District of Columbia. The Census Bureau states that the 2020 ACS 1-year experimental tables use an experimental estimation methodology and should not be compared with other ACS data. For these reasons, and because data is not available for Champaign County, no data for 2020 is included in this Indicator.

For interested data users, the 2020 ACS 1-Year Experimental data release includes datasets on Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2020 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) and Median Family Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2020 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars).

[1] U.S. Census Bureau. (Date unknown). Glossary. “Family Household.” (Accessed 19 April 2016).

[2] U.S. Census Bureau. (Date unknown). Glossary. “Household.” (Accessed 19 April 2016).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (2 December 2025).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (17 October 2024).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (18 September 2023).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (3 October 2022).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (7 June 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2018 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (7 June 2021).;U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (14 September 2017).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (19 September 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2013 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2009 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2006 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1903; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).

United States US: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data was reported at 1.310 % in 2016. United States US: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 1.310 % from Dec 2016 (Median) to 2016, with 1 observations. United States US: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. The growth rate in the welfare aggregate of the bottom 40% is computed as the annualized average growth rate in per capita real consumption or income of the bottom 40% of the population in the income distribution in a country from household surveys over a roughly 5-year period. Mean per capita real consumption or income is measured at 2011 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet). For some countries means are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The annualized growth rate is computed as (Mean in final year/Mean in initial year)^(1/(Final year - Initial year)) - 1. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported. The initial year refers to the nearest survey collected 5 years before the most recent survey available, only surveys collected between 3 and 7 years before the most recent survey are considered. The final year refers to the most recent survey available between 2011 and 2015. Growth rates for Iraq are based on survey means of 2005 PPP$. The coverage and quality of the 2011 PPP price data for Iraq and most other North African and Middle Eastern countries were hindered by the exceptional period of instability they faced at the time of the 2011 exercise of the International Comparison Program. See PovcalNet for detailed explanations.; ; World Bank, Global Database of Shared Prosperity (GDSP) circa 2010-2015 (http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/brief/global-database-of-shared-prosperity).; ; The comparability of welfare aggregates (consumption or income) for the chosen years T0 and T1 is assessed for every country. If comparability across the two surveys is a major concern for a country, the selection criteria are re-applied to select the next best survey year(s). Annualized growth rates are calculated between the survey years, using a compound growth formula. The survey years defining the period for which growth rates are calculated and the type of welfare aggregate used to calculate the growth rates are noted in the footnotes.

Graph and download economic data for Personal income per capita (A792RC0A052NBEA) from 1929 to 2024 about personal income, per capita, personal, income, GDP, and USA.

According to a 2020 survey, the average American had access to more than *** connected devices in their household. People had access to more than *** computers on average and more than *** mobile phones in the evaluated period.

Graph and download economic data for Average Annual Hours Worked per Employed Person in the United States (DISCONTINUED) (USAAHWEP) from 1970 to 2011 about hours, employment, and USA.

This table shows the mean income per capita in each locality by the following race/ethicity identifiers: White alone; Black or African American alone; White alone, not Hispanic or Latino; and Hispanic or Latino.

There is no data returned from the Census api for the following race/ethnicity identifiers: American Indian and Alaska Native Alone; Asian Alone; Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Alone; Some Other Race Alone; and Two or More Races.

Information on this dataset from https://censusreporter.org/topics/income/ Table B19301, "Per Capita income", is simply the value for B19313 "Aggregate Income" divided by the total population estimate for the summary geography. This statistic is more or less the 'average' income. Note the potential for misunderstanding: A) the aggregate income is divided among all people, not only those who actually had income, and B) as with any average, outliers (very big earners) can have a disproportionate effect on resulting figure.

Explanation of value = -666666666 : A '-' entry in the estimate column indicates that either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute an estimate, or a ratio of medians cannot be calculated because one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or upper interval of an open-ended distribution.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset presents median household incomes for various household sizes in American Canyon, CA, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. The dataset highlights the variation in median household income with the size of the family unit, offering valuable insights into economic trends and disparities within different household sizes, aiding in data analysis and decision-making.

Key observations

• Of the 7 household sizes (1 person to 7-or-more person households) reported by the census bureau, all of the household sizes were found in American Canyon. Across the different household sizes in American Canyon the mean income is $144,141, and the standard deviation is $67,987. The coefficient of variation (CV) is 47.17%. This high CV indicates high relative variability, suggesting that the incomes vary significantly across different sizes of households.
• In the most recent year, 2021, The smallest household size for which the bureau reported a median household income was 1-person households, with an income of $44,298. It then further increased to $256,361 for 7-person households, the largest household size for which the bureau reported a median household income.

https://i.neilsberg.com/ch/american-canyon-ca-median-household-income-by-household-size.jpeg" alt="American Canyon, CA median household income, by household size (in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars)">

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Household Sizes:

• 1-person households
• 2-person households
• 3-person households
• 4-person households
• 5-person households
• 6-person households
• 7-or-more-person households

Variables / Data Columns

• Household Size: This column showcases 7 household sizes ranging from 1-person households to 7-or-more-person households (As mentioned above).
• Median Household Income: Median household income, in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars for the specific household size.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for American Canyon median household income. You can refer the same here

Graph and download economic data for Real Disposable Personal Income: Per Capita (A229RX0) from Jan 1959 to Aug 2025 about disposable, personal income, per capita, personal, income, real, and USA.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset presents median household incomes for various household sizes in American Fork, UT, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. The dataset highlights the variation in median household income with the size of the family unit, offering valuable insights into economic trends and disparities within different household sizes, aiding in data analysis and decision-making.

Key observations

• Of the 7 household sizes (1 person to 7-or-more person households) reported by the census bureau, all of the household sizes were found in American Fork. Across the different household sizes in American Fork the mean income is $104,667, and the standard deviation is $40,961. The coefficient of variation (CV) is 39.13%. This high CV indicates high relative variability, suggesting that the incomes vary significantly across different sizes of households.
• In the most recent year, 2021, The smallest household size for which the bureau reported a median household income was 1-person households, with an income of $42,736. It then further increased to $163,657 for 7-person households, the largest household size for which the bureau reported a median household income.

https://i.neilsberg.com/ch/american-fork-ut-median-household-income-by-household-size.jpeg" alt="American Fork, UT median household income, by household size (in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars)">

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Household Sizes:

• 1-person households
• 2-person households
• 3-person households
• 4-person households
• 5-person households
• 6-person households
• 7-or-more-person households

Variables / Data Columns

• Household Size: This column showcases 7 household sizes ranging from 1-person households to 7-or-more-person households (As mentioned above).
• Median Household Income: Median household income, in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars for the specific household size.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for American Fork median household income. You can refer the same here

. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides Average Weekly Earnings in USD. Monthly Earnings include Private Non Agricultural sector only.


Further information about United States Monthly Earnings

• In the latest reports, US Population reached 341 million people in Dec 2024
• Unemployment Rate of US increased to 4 % in Sep 2025
• The country's Labour Force Participation Rate remained the same rate at 62 % in Sep 2025

About this dataset

Context

The dataset presents median household incomes for various household sizes in American Falls, ID, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. The dataset highlights the variation in median household income with the size of the family unit, offering valuable insights into economic trends and disparities within different household sizes, aiding in data analysis and decision-making.

Key observations

• Of the 7 household sizes (1 person to 7-or-more person households) reported by the census bureau, American Falls did not include 7-person households. Across the different household sizes in American Falls the mean income is $64,240, and the standard deviation is $19,016. The coefficient of variation (CV) is 29.60%. This high CV indicates high relative variability, suggesting that the incomes vary significantly across different sizes of households.
• In the most recent year, 2021, The smallest household size for which the bureau reported a median household income was 1-person households, with an income of $46,506. It then further increased to $50,427 for 6-person households, the largest household size for which the bureau reported a median household income.

https://i.neilsberg.com/ch/american-falls-id-median-household-income-by-household-size.jpeg" alt="American Falls, ID median household income, by household size (in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars)">

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Household Sizes:

• 1-person households
• 2-person households
• 3-person households
• 4-person households
• 5-person households
• 6-person households
• 7-or-more-person households

Variables / Data Columns

• Household Size: This column showcases 7 household sizes ranging from 1-person households to 7-or-more-person households (As mentioned above).
• Median Household Income: Median household income, in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars for the specific household size.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for American Falls median household income. You can refer the same here

The average American family in 2023 consisted of 3.15 persons. Families in the United States According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family. As of 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau counted about 84.33 million families in the United States. The average family consisted of 3.15 persons in 2021, down from 3.7 in the 1960s. This is reflected in the decrease of children in family households overall. In 1970, about 56 percent of all family households had children under the age of 18 living in the household. This percentage declined to about 40 percent in 2020. The average size of a family household varies greatly from state to state. The largest average families can be found in Utah, California, and Hawaii, while the smallest families can be found in Wisconsin, Vermont and Maine.

Graph and download economic data for Disposable personal income: Per capita (A229RC0A052NBEA) from 1929 to 2024 about disposable, personal income, per capita, personal, income, GDP, and USA.

The graph displays the average miles driven per person in the United States from 1980 to 2023. The x-axis represents the years, while the y-axis shows the average miles driven annually by one person. The data shows that the lowest average was 10,511 miles in 1980, and the highest was 14,906 miles in 2004. A notable drop occurred in 2020, with the average falling to 12,724 miles, likely reflecting reduced travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the data highlights a long-term increase in driving over the decades, with fluctuations in recent years.

Graph and download economic data for Average Annual Hours Worked by Persons Engaged for United States (AVHWPEUSA065NRUG) from 1950 to 2019 about hours, labor force, labor, persons, and USA.