This statistic shows the median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers in the United States by gender and ethnicity in the first quarter of 2025. The usual weekly earnings of a male Asian American wage worker was 1,822 U.S. dollars.

Income InequalityThe level of income inequality among households in a county can be measured using the Gini index. A Gini index varies between zero and one. A value of one indicates perfect inequality, where only one household in the county has any income. A value of zero indicates perfect equality, where all households in the county have equal income.The United States, as a country, has a Gini Index of 0.47 for this time period. For comparision in this map, the purple counties have greater income inequality, while orange counties have less inequality of incomes. For reference, Brazil has an index of 0.58 (relatively high inequality) and Denmark has an index of 0.24 (relatively low inequality).The 5-year Gini index for the U.S. was 0.4695 in 2007-2011 and 0.467 in 2006-2010. Appalachian Regional Commission, September 2013Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, 5-Year American Community Survey, 2006-2010 & 2007-2011

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.

The gender wage gap indicator compares the median earnings between male and female workers in Champaign County.

Two worker populations are analyzed: all workers, including part-time and seasonal workers and those that were not employed for the full survey year; and full-time, year-round workers. The gender wage gap is included because it blends economics and equity, and illustrates that a major economic talking point on the national level is just as relevant at the local scale.

For all four populations (male full-time, year-round workers; female full-time, year-round workers; all male workers; and all female workers), the estimated median earnings were higher in 2023 than in 2005. The greatest increase in a population’s estimated median earnings between 2005 and 2023 was for female full-time, year-round workers; the smallest increase between 2005 and 2023 was for all female workers. In both categories (all and full-time, year-round), the estimated median annual earnings for male workers was consistently higher than for female workers.

The gender gap between the two estimates in 2023 was larger for full-time, year-round workers than all workers. For full-time, year-round workers, the difference was $11,863; for all workers, it was approaching $9,700.

The Associated Press wrote this article in October 2024 about how Census Bureau data shows that in 2023 in the United States, the gender wage gap between men and women working full-time widened year-over-year for the first time in 20 years.

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 in 2020. 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 a dataset on Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2020 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) by Sex by Work Experience in the Past 12 Months for the Population 16 Years and Over with Earnings in the Past 12 Months.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (16 October 2024).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (20 October 2023).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (21 September 2022).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; 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 S2001; 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 S2001; 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 S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2013 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2009 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2006 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2001; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).

This table contains data on income inequality. The primary measure is the Gini index – a measure of the extent to which the distribution of income among families/households within a community deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. The index ranges from 0.0, when all families (households) have equal shares of income (implies perfect equality), to 1.0 when one family (household) has all the income and the rest have none (implies perfect inequality). Index data is provided for California and its counties, regions, and large cities/towns. The data is from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. The table is part of a series of indicators in the Healthy Communities Data and Indicators Project of the Office of Health Equity. Income is linked to acquiring resources for healthy living. Both household income and the distribution of income across a society independently contribute to the overall health status of a community. On average Western industrialized nations with large disparities in income distribution tend to have poorer health status than similarly advanced nations with a more equitable distribution of income. Approximately 119,200 (5%) of the 2.4 million U.S. deaths in 2000 are attributable to income inequality. The pathways by which income inequality act to increase adverse health outcomes are not known with certainty, but policies that provide for a strong safety net of health and social services have been identified as potential buffers. More information about the data table and a data dictionary can be found in the About/Attachments section.

The rise in United States wage inequality over the past two decades is commonly associated with an increase in the use of "skill-biased" technologies (e.g., computer equipment) in the workplace, yet relatively few studies have attempted to measure the direct link between the two. This paper explores the relationship among inequality, worker education levels, and workplace computer usage using a sample of 230 United States industries between 1983 and 2002. The results generate two primary conclusions: First, this rising inequality in the United States has been caused predominantly by increasing wage dispersion within industries rather than between industries. Second, within-industry inequality is strongly tied to both the frequency of computer usage among workers and the fraction of total employment with a college degree. Both results lend support to the idea that skill-biased technological change has been an important element in the rise of United States wage inequality.

New York was the state with the greatest gap between rich and poor, with a Gini coefficient score of 0.52 in 2023. Although not a state, District of Columbia was among the highest Gini coefficients in the United States that year.

In 2021, female employee earnings were outpaced by male earnings across nearly all industries, with sharp disparities in the professional and technical services industry, as well as the finance and insurance industry. In that year, there were no industries in which women earned more than men.

Graph and download economic data for GINI Index for the United States (SIPOVGINIUSA) from 1963 to 2023 about gini, indexes, and USA.

This file contains data needed to replicate all time series analyses from my book The Politics of Income Inequality in the United States.

Income Inequality in Lake County, IN was 15.56681 Ratio in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Income Inequality in Lake County, IN reached a record high of 15.56681 in January of 2023 and a record low of 13.13563 in January of 2010. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Income Inequality in Lake County, IN - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

OLS estimation, different model specifications.

This dataset focuses on the black-white wage gap in the United States. It provides insights into the disparities in hourly wages between black and white workers, as well as different gender and subgroup breakdowns.

The data is derived from the Economic Policy Institute’s State of Working America Data Library, a reputable source for socio-economic research and analysis.

Data on redistributive spending in the 50 American states from 1974-2012. Also includes two Gini coefficient measures, economic measures, and demographic measures.

In 2023, according to the Gini coefficient, household income distribution in the United States was 0.47. This figure was at 0.43 in 1990, which indicates an increase in income inequality in the U.S. over the past 30 years. What is the Gini coefficient? The Gini coefficient, or Gini index, is a statistical measure of economic inequality and wealth distribution among a population. A value of zero represents perfect economic equality, and a value of one represents perfect economic inequality. The Gini coefficient helps to visualize income inequality in a more digestible way. For example, according to the Gini coefficient, the District of Columbia and the state of New York have the greatest amount of income inequality in the U.S. with a score of 0.51, and Utah has the greatest income equality with a score of 0.43. The Gini coefficient around the world The Gini coefficient is also an effective measure to help picture income inequality around the world. For example, in 2018 income inequality was highest in South Africa, while income inequality was lowest in Slovenia.

Wealth inequality has been sharply rising in the United States and across many other high-income countries. Due to a lack of data, we know little about how this trend has unfolded across locations within countries. Investigating this subnational geography of wealth is crucial, as from one generation to the next, wealth powerfully shapes opportunity and disadvantage across individuals and communities. Using machine-learning-based imputation to link newly assembled national historical surveys conducted by the U.S. Federal Reserve to population survey microdata, the data presented in this paper addresses this gap. The Geographic Wealth Inequality Database ("GEOWEALTH-US") provides the first estimates of the level and distribution of wealth at various geographical scales within the United States from 1960 to 2020. The GEOWEALTH-US database enables new lines investigation into the contribution of inter-regional wealth patterns to major societal challenges including wealth concentration, spatial income inequality, equality of opportunity, housing unaffordability, and political polarization.

Income Inequality in Jefferson Parish, LA was 17.14348 Ratio in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Income Inequality in Jefferson Parish, LA reached a record high of 17.14348 in January of 2023 and a record low of 13.72062 in January of 2010. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Income Inequality in Jefferson Parish, LA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Income Gini Ratio for Households by Race of Householder, All Races (GINIALLRH) from 1967 to 2023 about gini, households, income, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Income Inequality in Fairfax County, VA (2020RATIO051059) from 2010 to 2023 about Fairfax County, VA; inequality; Washington; VA; income; and USA.

We present new evidence on three measures of civil rights enforcement--litigation, judge dismissal, and plaintiff win rates--across United States district courts from 1979 to 2016. Across courts, higher shares of Republican judges are associated with higher dismissal rates, regardless of court composition in terms of gender and race. Further, we find that states with higher litigation rates also exhibit higher racial wage gaps, whereas states where judge dismissal (plaintiff win) rates are higher experience higher (lower) racial wage gaps. Our results highlight the importance of legal institutions on the persistence of racial inequality.