Income

Share of Aggregate Income Received by Each Fifth and Top 5 Percent of Households, 1967 to 1994 (Households as of March of the following year. Income in CPI-U-X1 adjusted dollars.)

                  Income at selected positions (dollars)  Percent distribution of aggregate income 
          Number        Upper limit of each fifth($)      Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest Top 5   Gini
Year     (thous.) Lowest  Second   Third  Fourth   Top 5%  fifth fifth  fifth  fifth  fifth percent ratio
1994./14/.98,990  13,426  25,200  40,100  62,841  109,821    3.6   8.9   15.0   23.4   49.1   21.2  0.456 
1993./13/.97,107  13,299  25,311  39,786  61,844  107,318    3.6   9.0   15.1   23.5   48.9   21.0  0.454
1993./12/.97,107  13,296  25,293  39,757  61,824  107,295    3.6   9.1   15.3   23.8   48.2   20.0  0.447
1992./11/.96,426  13,309  25,499  40,034  61,273  104,596    3.8   9.4   15.8   24.2   46.9   18.6  0.434
1992......96,391  13,377  25,668  40,140  61,477  104,967    3.8   9.4   15.8   24.2   46.9   18.6  0.433
1991......95,699  13,697  26,115  40,336  61,761  104,893    3.8   9.6   15.9   24.2   46.5   18.1  0.428
1990......94,312  14,174  26,830  41,047  62,597  107,434    3.9   9.6   15.9   24.0   46.6   18.6  0.428
1989......93,347  14,457  27,489  42,249  64,192  109,656    3.8   9.5   15.8   24.0   46.8   18.9  0.431
1988......92,830  14,259  26,934  41,975  63,380  107,285    3.8   9.6   16.0   24.3   46.3   18.3  0.427
1987./10/.91,124  14,089  26,744  41,746  63,093  105,577    3.8   9.6   16.1   24.3   46.2   18.2  0.426
1986......89,479  13,856  26,503  41,132  62,176  104,262    3.8   9.7   16.2   24.3   46.1   18.0  0.425
1985../9/.88,458  13,692  25,761  39,908  60,021   99,173    3.9   9.8   16.2   24.4   45.6   17.6  0.419
1984......86,789  13,551  25,361  39,073  59,023   97,706    4.0   9.9   16.3   24.6   45.2   17.1  0.415
1983../8/.85,290  13,316  24,760  38,001  57,429   94,485    4.0   9.9   16.4   24.6   45.1   17.1  0.414
1982......83,918  13,022  24,766  37,841  56,428   93,146    4.0  10.0   16.5   24.5   45.0   17.0  0.412
1981......83,527  13,198  24,673  38,160  56,418   90,795    4.1  10.1   16.7   24.8   44.4   16.5  0.406
1980......82,368  13,466  25,253  38,716  56,687   91,227    4.2  10.2   16.8   24.8   44.1   16.5  0.403
1979../7/.80,776  14,019  26,035  40,056  58,078   93,847    4.1  10.2   16.8   24.7   44.2   16.9  0.404
1978......77,330  13,872  26,228  39,685  57,717   92,334    4.2  10.2   16.9   24.7   44.1   16.8  0.402
1977......76,030  13,446  25,325  38,602  56,278   89,108    4.2  10.2   16.9   24.7   44.0   16.8  0.402
1976../6/.74,142  13,485  25,124  38,273  55,064   87,323    4.3  10.3   17.0   24.7   43.7   16.6  0.398
1975../5/.72,867  13,185  24,746  37,393  53,690   84,725    4.3  10.4   17.0   24.7   43.6   16.6  0.397
1974./5/4/71,163  13,878  25,742  38,038  55,205   87,378    4.3  10.6   17.0   24.6   43.5   16.5  0.395
1973......69,859  13,872  26,353  39,091  56,470   89,513    4.2  10.5   17.1   24.6   43.6   16.6  0.397
1972......68,251  13,518  26,035  38,485  55,074   88,653    4.1  10.5   17.1   24.5   43.9   17.0  0.401
1971../3/.66,676  13,066  24,909  36,655  52,265   82,999    4.1  10.6   17.3   24.5   43.5   16.7  0.396
1970......64,374  13,230  25,348  36,874  52,609   83,171    4.1  10.8   17.4   24.5   43.3   16.6  0.394
1969......63,401  13,443  25,803  37,313  52,284   81,999    4.1  10.9   17.5   24.5   43.0   16.6  0.391
1968......61,805  13,063  24,766  35,497  49,877   78,031    4.2  11.1   17.5   24.4   42.8   16.6  0.388
1967../2/.60,446  12,248  23,883  33,910  48,343   77,570    4.0  10.8   17.3   24.2   43.8   17.5  0.399
NOTES to Table 2.
1/ [not used]
2/  Implementation of a new March CPS processing system.
3/  Implementation of 1970 census population controls.
4/  Implementation of a new March CPS processing system.  Questionnaire expanded to ask eleven income
questions.
5/  These estimates were derived using pareto interpolation and may differ from published data which were
derived using linear interpolation.
6/  First year medians are derived using both pareto and linear interpolation.  Prior to this year all
medians were derived using linear interpolation.
7/  Implementation of 1980 census population controls.  Questionnaire expanded to show 27 possible values
from 51 possible sources of income.
8/  Implementation of Hispanic population weighting controls.
9/  Recording of amounts for earnings from longest job increased to $299,999.
10/ Implementation of a new March CPS processing system.
11/ Implementation of 1990 census population controls.
12/ See footnote 13.  To maintain comparability, income data topcoded to 1992 limits.
13/ Data collection method changed from paper and pencil to computer-assisted interviewing.  In addition,
the March 1994 income supplement was revised to allow for the coding of different income amounts on
selected questionnaire items.  Limits either increased or decreased in the following categories: 
earnings increased to $999,999; Social Security increased to $49,999; Supplemental Security Income and
Public Assistance increased to $24,999; Veterans' Benefits increased to $99,999; Child Support and
Alimony decreased to $49,999.
14/ Introduction of new 1990 census sample design.