U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Skip Header
Partners Researchers Educators Survey Respondents
News NAICS Codes Jobs About Us Contact Us Help
Topics
Data & Maps
Surveys & Programs
Resource Library
Search data, events, resources, and more
Topics
Browse our topics and subtopics to find information and data.
View All Topics and Subtopics Index A to Z
Age and Sex Business and Economy Education Emergency Management Employment Families and Living Arrangements Geography Health Hispanic Origin Housing
Income and Poverty International Trade Migration/Geographic Mobility Population Population Estimates Public Sector Race Redistricting Research Voting and Registration
Data & Maps
Access demographic, economic and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Explore census data with visualizations and view tutorials.
Explore data on data.census.gov View all data resources
Census Academy Combining Data Data Equity Tools Data Tools and Apps Developers Experimental Data Products
Interactive Maps Mapping Files Related Sites Software Tables Training and Workshops Visualizations
Surveys & Programs
Our surveys provide periodic and comprehensive statistics about the nation. This data is critical for government programs, policies, and decision-making.
View all Surveys & Programs
2020 Census 2030 Census American Community Survey (ACS) American Housing Survey (AHS) Annual Business Survey (ABS) Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) Census of Governments County Business Patterns (CBP) Current Population Survey (CPS)
Economic Census International Programs Metro and Micro Areas Population Estimates Population Projections Small Area Income and Poverty Statistics of U.S. Businesses Survey of Business Owners Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
Resource Library
Browse our collection of stories and more.
View all library resources Glossary
America Counts: Stories Audio Blogs By the Numbers Facts for Features Fact Sheets Infographics and Visualizations
Photos Publications Spotlights Stats for Stories Training (Census Academy) Videos Working Papers
Partners Researchers Educators Survey Respondents
News NAICS Codes Jobs About Us Contact Us Help
View All Topics and Subtopics Index A to Z
Age and Sex Business and Economy Education Emergency Management Employment Families and Living Arrangements Geography Health Hispanic Origin Housing Income and Poverty International Trade Migration/Geographic Mobility Population Population Estimates Public Sector Race Redistricting Research Voting and Registration
Explore data on data.census.gov View all data resources
Census Academy Combining Data Data Equity Tools Data Tools and Apps Developers Experimental Data Products Interactive Maps Mapping Files Related Sites Software Tables Training and Workshops Visualizations
View all Surveys & Programs
2020 Census 2030 Census American Community Survey (ACS) American Housing Survey (AHS) Annual Business Survey (ABS) Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) Census of Governments County Business Patterns (CBP) Current Population Survey (CPS) Economic Census International Programs Metro and Micro Areas Population Estimates Population Projections Small Area Income and Poverty Statistics of U.S. Businesses Survey of Business Owners Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
View all library resources Glossary
America Counts: Stories Audio Blogs By the Numbers Facts for Features Fact Sheets Infographics and Visualizations Photos Publications Spotlights Stats for Stories Training (Census Academy) Videos Working Papers

Income and Poverty

Skip Navigation
Within Topics

Income and Poverty

Income is the gauge many use to determine the well-being of the U.S. population. Survey and census questions cover poverty, income, and wealth.

Subtopics

Income

Census money income is defined as income received on a regular basis before payments for taxes, social security, etc. and does not reflect noncash benefits.

Income Inequality

Income inequality is the extent to which income is distributed unevenly among a population.

Poverty

If a family's total income is less than the official poverty threshold for a family of that size and composition, then they are considered to be in poverty.

Program Income and Public Assistance

Public assistance refers to assistance programs that provide either cash or in-kind benefits to individuals and families from any governmental entity.

Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates (SAIPE)

The Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) program provides more current estimates for the administration and allocation of federal programs and funds.

Supplemental Poverty Measure

In 2009, the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) created a Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) to replace previous experimental poverty measures.

Wealth and Asset Ownership

Household net worth or wealth is an important defining factor of economic well-being - it can become an additional source of income in hard times or retirement.

Well-Being

Factors that contribute to well-being include income, possession of consumer durables, housing and neighborhood conditions, and the meeting of basic needs.

Featured

CPS ASEC Redesign and Processing Changes
April 17, 2019
This page shares information regarding changes to the CPS ASEC survey design and processing and highlights the implications of these improvements.

News

View More
Stats for Stories
Equal Pay Day: March 14, 2023
March 14, 2023
In 1973, full-time working women earned a median of 56.6 cents to every dollar men earned. In 2021 (48 years later), women earned 83.7, a gain of 27.1 cents.
Stats for Stories
Pi Day: March 14, 2023
March 14, 2023
The first 6 digits of pi (π) are 3.14159, which means a good time to celebrate on March 14 (3/14) at 1:59 (am/pm). Pi is infinitely long, a never-ending number.
Stats for Stories
International Women’s Day: March 8, 2023
March 08, 2023
From 2000 to 2021, the percentage of women who work as veterinarians, pharmacists, mathematicians, legislators, and chief executives have all increased.

Data

View More
Table
Income in the United States: 2021
September 13, 2022
These tables present data on income, earnings, income inequality & poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2022 and earlier CPS ASEC.
Table
Poverty in the United States: 2021
September 13, 2022
These tables present data on poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2022 and earlier CPS ASEC.
Table
Income and Poverty in the United States: 2020
September 2021
These tables present data on income, earnings, income inequality & poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2021 and earlier CPS ASEC.

Publications

View More
Publication
Poverty: 2019 and 2021
October 04, 2022
This brief uses the 2019 and 2021 American Community Surveys (ACS) 1-year estimates to analyze poverty rates for the nation, states, and largest metro areas.
Publication
Household Income: 2021
October 04, 2022
This brief uses the 2019 and 2021 American Community Surveys (ACS) 1-year estimates to report changes in median household income and the Gini index.
Publication
Poverty Dynamics: 2017–2019
September 29, 2022
Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation from 2017 to 2019, we examine poverty dynamics over the period.

Working Papers

View More
Working Paper
Monthly Financial Insecurity Estimates using the Household Pulse Survey
January 12, 2023
This paper is a comparison of monthly financial insecurity and poverty estimates.
Working Paper
Family Pies: Effects of Family Resource Shares in Childhood
December 06, 2022
Effects of birth order on various outcomes have been extensively studied in both life sciences and social sciences.
Working Paper
Methods and Assumptions of the CPS ASEC Tax Model
November 2022
This paper details the methods and assumptions of the CPS ASEC Tax Model.

You May Be Interested In

Top

Back to Header