Graph and download economic data for Households; Net Worth, Level (BOGZ1FL192090005Q) from Q4 1987 to Q1 2025 about net worth, Net, households, and USA.

The average net worth of families in the United States increased nearly twofold between 1989 and 2007, when it reached ******* U.S. dollars. Following the financial crisis of 2008, the average net worth of Americans families dropped to ******* U.S. in 2013. In the following years, American families' net worth started increasing again, reaching a value of nearly ******* U.S. dollars.

This statistic shows the median net worth by in U.S. households by age of householder in 2011. The net worth describes personal assets minus debt. Median denotes the midpoint of a group—in this case the point at which 50 percent of the households have more wealth and 50 percent have less. In 2011, the median net worth of people aged younger than 35 was 6,676 U.S. dollars. This is much less than the median net worth of all householders, which is at approximately 69,000 U.S. dollars.

In the first quarter of 2024, almost two-thirds percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by the top 10 percent of earners. In comparison, the lowest 50 percent of earners only owned 2.5 percent of the total wealth. Income inequality in the U.S. Despite the idea that the United States is a country where hard work and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps will inevitably lead to success, this is often not the case. In 2023, 7.4 percent of U.S. households had an annual income under 15,000 U.S. dollars. With such a small percentage of people in the United States owning such a vast majority of the country’s wealth, the gap between the rich and poor in America remains stark. The top one percent The United States follows closely behind China as the country with the most billionaires in the world. Elon Musk alone held around 219 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Over the past 50 years, the CEO-to-worker compensation ratio has exploded, causing the gap between rich and poor to grow, with some economists theorizing that this gap is the largest it has been since right before the Great Depression.

Graph and download economic data for Net Worth Held by the Top 0.1% (99.9th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBLTP1246) from Q3 1989 to Q1 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

This statistic shows the median net worth of families in the United States from 1983 to 2013, by income tier. In 2013, middle class families had a median net worth of about 98,057 U.S. dollars.

This study defined middle class income households as those with an income between 67 and 200 percent of the U.S. median household income, after adjustment for household size. In 2014, the middle class income ranged from about 42,000 U.S. dollars to about 126,000 U.S. dollars per year for a three-person household.

Graph and download economic data for Real Median Personal Income in the United States (MEPAINUSA672N) from 1974 to 2023 about personal income, personal, median, income, real, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Net Worth Held by the Bottom 50% (1st to 50th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBLB50107) from Q3 1989 to Q1 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Households; Net Worth, Level (BOGZ1FL192090005A) from 1987 to 2024 about net worth, Net, households, and USA.

In the third quarter of 2024, the top ten percent of earners in the United States held over ** percent of total wealth. This is fairly consistent with the second quarter of 2024. Comparatively, the wealth of the bottom ** percent of earners has been slowly increasing since the start of the *****, though remains low. Wealth distribution in the United States by generation can be found here.

In 2023, just over 50 percent of Americans had an annual household income that was less than 75,000 U.S. dollars. The median household income was 80,610 U.S. dollars in 2023. Income and wealth in the United States After the economic recession in 2009, income inequality in the U.S. is more prominent across many metropolitan areas. The Northeast region is regarded as one of the wealthiest in the country. Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts were among the states with the highest median household income in 2020. In terms of income by race and ethnicity, the average income of Asian households was 94,903 U.S. dollars in 2020, while the median income for Black households was around half of that figure. What is the U.S. poverty threshold? The U.S. Census Bureau annually updates its list of poverty levels. Preliminary estimates show that the average poverty threshold for a family of four people was 26,500 U.S. dollars in 2021, which is around 100 U.S. dollars less than the previous year. There were an estimated 37.9 million people in poverty across the United States in 2021, which was around 11.6 percent of the population. Approximately 19.5 percent of those in poverty were Black, while 8.2 percent were white.

This statistic shows a comparison of the median net worth of U.S. households in 1984 and 2009 for two age groups: young families, where the householder is younger than 35, and mostly retired households, where the householder is 65 or older. The median net worth of young households has decreased from 11,521 U.S. dollars in 1984 to 3,662 U.S. dollars in 2009.

In 2023, roughly 1.49 billion adults worldwide had a net worth of less than 10,000 U.S. dollars. By comparison, 58 million adults had a net worth of more than one million U.S. dollars in the same year. Wealth distribution The distribution of wealth is an indicator of economic inequality. The United Nations says that wealth includes the sum of natural, human, and physical assets. Wealth is not synonymous with income, however, because having a large income can be depleted if one has significant expenses. In 2023, nearly 1,700 billionaires had a total wealth between one to two billion U.S. dollars. Wealth worldwide China had the highest number of billionaires in 2023, with the United States following behind. That same year, New York had the most billionaires worldwide.

Median Household Income in the United States was 80610.00000 Current $ in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Median Household Income in the United States reached a record high of 80610.00000 in January of 2023 and a record low of 22420.00000 in January of 1984. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Median Household Income in the United States - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

United States US: General Government: Net Worth data was reported at -4,998.205 USD bn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of -5,108.220 USD bn for 2016. United States US: General Government: Net Worth data is updated yearly, averaging -775.727 USD bn from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2017, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,008.897 USD bn in 2007 and a record low of -5,108.220 USD bn in 2016. United States US: General Government: Net Worth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.IMF.IFS: Government Finance: Balance Sheet: Annual.

United States Net Worth: Financial Business data was reported at 136.201 USD bn in Mar 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of -208.581 USD bn for Dec 2017. United States Net Worth: Financial Business data is updated quarterly, averaging 0.384 USD bn from Dec 1951 (Median) to Mar 2018, with 266 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 927.379 USD bn in Dec 2008 and a record low of -679.185 USD bn in Dec 2016. United States Net Worth: Financial Business data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Board. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.AB074: Integrated Macroeconomic Accounts: Total Economy and Sectors: Selected Aggregates.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset presents median household incomes for various household sizes in United States, 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 United States. Across the different household sizes in United States the mean income is $94,149, and the standard deviation is $26,829. The coefficient of variation (CV) is 28.50%. 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 $38,463. It then further increased to $114,329 for 7-person households, the largest household size for which the bureau reported a median household income.

https://i.neilsberg.com/ch/united-states-median-household-income-by-household-size.jpeg" alt="United States 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 United States median household income. You can refer the same here

In 2023, the real median household income for householders aged 15 to 24 was at 54,930 U.S. dollars. The highest median household income was found amongst those aged between 45 and 54. Household median income for the United States since 1990 can be accessed here.

United States US: Central Government: Net Worth data was reported at -13,504.022 USD bn in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of -12,876.033 USD bn for 2016. United States US: Central Government: Net Worth data is updated yearly, averaging -6,768.117 USD bn from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2017, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of -2,905.666 USD bn in 2001 and a record low of -13,504.022 USD bn in 2017. United States US: Central Government: Net Worth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.IMF.IFS: Government Finance: Balance Sheet: Annual.

This statistic shows the median household wealth in the United States in 2016, by race. In 2016, the median Black household wealth was 17,600 U.S. dollars.