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 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBLT01026) from Q3 1989 to Q1 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, 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.

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

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.

As of November 2022, a combined value of **** trillion U.S. dollars was held by billionaires living in the United States. While U.S. billionaire wealth has seen a drop over the last year, it is still more than *** times the amount it was at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Graph and download economic data for All Sectors; U.S. Wealth, Level (BOGZ1FL892090005Q) from Q4 1945 to Q1 2025 about wealth, sector, and USA.

As of April 2025, Elon Musk was estimated as the wealthiest person in the United States with a net worth of around 342 billion dollars. Richest people in the United States - additional information Every year since 1982, the American business magazine Forbes has been compiling lists of the 400 richest people in the United States, known as the “Forbes 400.” In addition to that, since 1987, the publication has also been compiling a ranking of the 500 richest people in the world (excluding royalty and dictators), as well as more specialized tops, such as “World's Most Powerful Women,” “America's Richest Families,” “Most Valuable Brands” or “30 Under 30,” which focuses on young entrepreneurs from various fields which have gained millions in the past year by the use of social media, technical innovations and generally new and fresh approaches to business.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Net Worth Held by the 50th to 90th Wealth Percentiles (WFRBLN40080) from Q3 1989 to Q1 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

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.

United States - Households and Nonprofit Organizations; Net Worth, Level was 169360793.00000 Mil. of $ in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Households and Nonprofit Organizations; Net Worth, Level reached a record high of 169360793.00000 in January of 2024 and a record low of 806616.00000 in January of 1945. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Households and Nonprofit Organizations; Net Worth, Level - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

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

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.

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.

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

United States Household Income: $150,000 to $199,999 data was reported at 7.000 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.800 % for 2016. United States Household Income: $150,000 to $199,999 data is updated yearly, averaging 4.500 % from Mar 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.000 % in 2017 and a record low of 1.500 % in 1968. United States Household Income: $150,000 to $199,999 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.H049: Household Income: by Income Level.

United States Household Income: $50,000 to $74,999 data was reported at 16.500 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 16.900 % for 2016. United States Household Income: $50,000 to $74,999 data is updated yearly, averaging 18.900 % from Mar 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24.600 % in 1968 and a record low of 16.500 % in 2017. United States Household Income: $50,000 to $74,999 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.H049: Household Income: by Income Level.

United States - Total Net Worth Held by the 50th to 90th Wealth Percentiles was 48537718.00000 Mil. of $ in October of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Total Net Worth Held by the 50th to 90th Wealth Percentiles reached a record high of 48591064.00000 in July of 2024 and a record low of 7288584.00000 in July of 1989. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Total Net Worth Held by the 50th to 90th Wealth Percentiles - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

United States - Share of Total Net Worth Held by the 90th to 99th Wealth Percentiles was 36.40000 % of Aggregate in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Share of Total Net Worth Held by the 90th to 99th Wealth Percentiles reached a record high of 40.10000 in October of 2010 and a record low of 33.90000 in July of 1995. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Share of Total Net Worth Held by the 90th to 99th Wealth Percentiles - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.