The median money income of households in the United States was $9,030 in 1971. Of the 66.7 million households in the United States, 14.0 million, or 21.0 percent, had incomes of $15,000 or more; 15.6 million (23.4 percent) had between $10,000 and $15,000; 11.6 million (17.4 percent) had between $7,000 and $10,000; 7.5 million (11.3 percent) had between $5,000 and $7,000; and the remaining 17.9 million households (26.7 percent) had incomes under $5,000.

Data in this report were derived from the Current Population Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census and are subject to sampling variability. Moreover, as in all field surveys of income, the figures are subject to errors of response and nonreporting. For a further discussion of the sampling variability, see the section on "Source and Reliability of the Estimates" below.

Household income is different from family income because household income includes not only the income of all related persons in the household but also the income of any unrelated persons in the household. Household income also covers the income of one person households. Family income is limited to the income of related persons in the household only. Further information on the difference between household and family incomes is discussed in Series P-60, No. 62.