Current Population Reports, issued September 2018 by the United States Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau. census.gov
The U.S. Census Bureau collects data and publishes estimates on income and poverty in order to evaluate national economic trends as well as to understand their impact on the well-being of households, families, and individuals. This report presents data on income and poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2018 and earlier Current Population surge (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplements (ASEC) conducted by the Census Bureau.
Between 2016 and 2017, real median income for households within metropolitan statistical areas increased 2.2 percent from $62,852 to $64,265, while change outside of metropolitan statistical areas was not statistically significant. This is the third consecutive annual increase in median income for households within metropolitan statistical areas.
In 2017, households inside metropolitan areas but outside principal cities had the highest median income ($69,358), followed by households inside principal cities ($55,708). House holds outside metropolitan areas had the lowest median income ($47,563).
Households in the lowest quintile had incomes of $24,638 or less in 2017. Households in the second quintile had incomes from $24,639 to $47,110, thoes in the third quintile had incomes from $77,553 to $126,855. Households in the highest quintile had incomes of $126,856 or more. The top 5 percent of households in the income distribution had incomes of $237,035 or more.
Another way to measure income inequality is to use an equivalence-adjusted income estimate that takes into consideration the number of people living in the household and how these people share resources and take advantage of economies of scale.
People living in poverty in 2017
People under the age of 18 living in poverty in 2017
Between 2016 and 2017, people with at least a bachelor’s degree were the only group to have an increase in the poverty rate or the number of people in poverty. Among this group, the poverty rate increased 0.3 percentage points and the number in poverty increased by 363,000 individuals between 2016 and 2017. Even with this increase, among educational attainment groups, people with at least a bachelor’s degree had the lowest poverty rates in 2017.
In 2017, there were 39.7 million people in poverty, not statistically different from the number in poverty in 2016. The poverty rate for adults aged 18 to 64 declined 0.4 percentage points, from 11.6 percent to 11.2 percent, while poverty rates for individuals under the age of 18 and for people aged 65 and older were not statistically different from 2016.
From 2016 to 2017 the number of people in poverty decreased for people in families; people living in the West; people living outside metropolitan statistical areas; all workers; workers who worked less than full-time, year round; people with disability; people with a high school diploma but no college degree; and people with some college but no degree.
For people under the age of 18, 17.5 percent (12.8 million) were in poverty in 2017, neither estimate statistically differ from 2016. This group represented 22.7 percent of the total population in 2017 and 32.3 percent of the people in poverty.
Related children are people under the age of 18 related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption who are not themselves householders or spouses of householders. In 2017, 17.1 percent (12.4 million) of related children under the age of 18 were in poverty.
Unless we all do our part to help our fellow brothers and sisters get the help they need, this community crisis will grow.
