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Income Inequality

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Within Income and Poverty

Income Inequality

Are the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer?

Our statistics can shed some light on this. A large number of factors have been identified as contributing to changes in inequality, the root causes are still not entirely understood

Featured

Income Inequality Visualizations
Data made visual with charts, tables, maps, and other graphic elements. They are often interactive and contain text for labeling, not narration.
Income Inequality Data Tools
Interactive applications, created by the Census Bureau, to help you customize, and even visualize, statistics from multiple censuses, surveys, and programs.
Income Inequality Data Tables
Stats displayed in columns and rows with title, ID, notes, sources and release date. Many tables are in downloadable XLS, CSV and PDF file formats.

Publications

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Publication
Income in the United States: 2021
September 13, 2022
This report presents data on income, earnings, & income inequality in the United States based on information collected in the 2022 and earlier CPS ASEC.
Publication
Income and Poverty in the United States: 2020
September 14, 2021
This report presents data on income, earnings, income inequality & poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2021 and earlier CPS ASEC.
Publication
Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019
September 15, 2020
This report presents data on income, earnings, income inequality & poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2018 and earlier CPS ASEC.

Working Papers

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Working Paper
Is Retirement More Unequal Than We Think?
May 06, 2021
This conference paper examines income inequality among older households using SIPP linked to administrative records.
Working Paper
Multidimensional Inequality
March 2019
Working Paper
Income Inequality among Regions and MSAs
July 2017
This paper examines income inequality, the effect of government programs, and how these have changed over time among regions and different sizes of MSAs.

Visualizations

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Visualization
Income in the United States: 2021
This report presents data on income, earnings, & income inequality in the United States based on information collected in the 2022 and earlier CPS ASEC.
Visualization
Income and Poverty in the United States: 2020
This report presents data on income, earnings, income inequality & poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2020 and earlier CPS ASEC.
Visualization
Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019
This report presents data on income, earnings, income inequality & poverty in the United States based on information collected in the 2019 and earlier CPS ASEC.

Data Tables

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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
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.
Table
Wealth, Asset Ownership, & Debt of Households Detailed Tables: 2020
2020
Source: 2021 Survey of Income and Program Participation.

Other Subtopics Within 'Income and Poverty'

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.

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.

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