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.

In the third quarter of 2024, the top ten percent of earners in the United States held over 67 percent of total wealth. This is fairly consistent with the second quarter of 2024. Comparatively, the wealth of the bottom 50 percent of earners has been slowly increasing since the start of the 2010s, though remains low. Wealth distribution in the United States by generation can be found here.

Graph and download economic data for Share of Net Worth Held by the Top 0.1% (99.9th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBSTP1300) from Q3 1989 to Q4 2024 about shares, net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

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.

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.

In the first quarter of 2024, 51.8 percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by members of the baby boomer generation. In comparison, millennials own around 9.4 percent of total wealth in the U.S. In terms of population distribution, there is almost an equal share of millennials and baby boomers in the United States.

Graph and download economic data for Share of Net Worth Held by the Bottom 50% (1st to 50th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBSB50215) from Q3 1989 to Q4 2024 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

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.

Income Inequality in Westchester County, NY was 25.51079 Ratio in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Income Inequality in Westchester County, NY reached a record high of 25.51079 in January of 2023 and a record low of 21.21995 in January of 2010. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Income Inequality in Westchester County, NY - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Income Inequality in Duval County, TX was 14.86435 Ratio in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Income Inequality in Duval County, TX reached a record high of 19.20804 in January of 2014 and a record low of 12.06873 in January of 2011. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Income Inequality in Duval County, TX - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

In 2023, around 10.3 percent of U.S. private households had an annual income between 35,000 and 49,999 U.S. dollars in the United States. Income levels between 100,000 to 149,999 U.S. dollars made up the largest share of the population at 16.5 percent in 2023.

Graph and download economic data for GINI Index for the United States (SIPOVGINIUSA) from 1963 to 2022 about gini, indexes, and USA.

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.

Income Inequality in Broward County, FL was 17.32913 Ratio in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Income Inequality in Broward County, FL reached a record high of 17.32913 in January of 2023 and a record low of 14.78784 in January of 2010. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Income Inequality in Broward County, FL - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Income Inequality in Jackson County, IN was 10.29208 Ratio in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Income Inequality in Jackson County, IN reached a record high of 11.77110 in January of 2022 and a record low of 8.96591 in January of 2011. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Income Inequality in Jackson County, IN - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Income Inequality in Oglethorpe County, GA was 13.73381 Ratio in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Income Inequality in Oglethorpe County, GA reached a record high of 13.73381 in January of 2023 and a record low of 9.78199 in January of 2016. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Income Inequality in Oglethorpe County, GA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March 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.

Brazil is one of the most unequal countries in terms of income in Latin America. In 2022, it was estimated that almost 57 percent of the income generated in Brazil was held by the richest 20 percent of its population. Among the Latin American countries with available data included in this graph, Colombia came in first, as the wealthiest 20 percent of the Colombian population held over 59 percent of the country's total income.

Income Inequality in Powell County, MT was 11.05676 Ratio in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Income Inequality in Powell County, MT reached a record high of 11.64705 in January of 2017 and a record low of 9.86378 in January of 2012. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Income Inequality in Powell County, MT - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Income Inequality in Winston County, MS was 16.76742 Ratio in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Income Inequality in Winston County, MS reached a record high of 19.52932 in January of 2017 and a record low of 12.44151 in January of 2011. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Income Inequality in Winston County, MS - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.