What data on income are available from the Census Bureau?
What is the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC)?
What is the American Community Survey (ACS)?
What is the difference between households and families?
What is the difference between median income and mean income?
What is the income of the "middle class"?
Do you have income data by quintile, decile, or percentile?
How much money does a woman earn compared to a man?
Where can I find information on the inflation adjustment used for historical income estimates?
Where can I find information on the tax model used for the CPS ASEC?
Where can I find the latest income reports?
Where can I access the microdata files for the CPS ASEC?
Where can I access American Community Survey (ACS) data on income?
The Census Bureau reports income and poverty estimates from several major national household surveys and programs. It is important to understand that different surveys and methods, which are designed to meet different needs, may produce different results.
You can access information on Differences Between Available Surveys/Programs for Income & Poverty and Which Data Source to Use for Income & Poverty to get more details on this topic.
The Current Population Survey (CPS) is sponsored jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The CPS is the primary source of labor force statistics for the population of the United States and is used to produce the official monthly unemployment data.
In addition to the monthly labor force statistics, the CPS is used to collect data for a variety of other studies that keep the nation informed of the economic and social well-being of its people. This is done by adding a set of supplemental questions to the monthly basic CPS questions.
The Census Bureau conducts the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) every February, March, and April. The ASEC collects data on work experience, income, migration, household composition, health insurance coverage, and receipt of noncash benefit.
The CPS ASEC is the official source for annual estimates of income and poverty at the national level.
The American Community Survey (ACS) is the premier source of detailed information about the nation's people and housing. As an ongoing survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau since 2005, the ACS collects detailed social, economic, housing, and demographic information from a sample of households across the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The ACS covers more than 40 topics, including income. Because of its large sample size, the ACS is exceptionally useful for subnational analyses.
The ACS provides single-year estimates of income and poverty for all places, counties, and metropolitan areas with a population of at least 65,000 as well as the nation and the states, and provides estimates for all geographies, including census tracts and block groups using data pooled over a five-year period. Both single and five-year estimates are updated every year.
A family consists of two or more people (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption residing in the same housing unit.
A household consists of all people who occupy a housing unit regardless of relationship. A household may consist of a person living alone or multiple unrelated individuals or families living together.
You may access all of the CPS definitions at Subject Definitions and all ACS definitions at Subject Definitions.
Median income is the amount that divides the income distribution into two equal groups, one-half having incomes above the median and one-half having incomes below the median.
Mean income is the amount obtained by dividing the total income of a particular statistical universe by the number of units in that universe. Thus, mean household income is obtained by dividing total household income by the total number of households. For the various types of income, the means are based on households having those types of income.
The Census Bureau does not have an official definition of the "middle class," but it does derive several measures related to the distribution of income and income inequality. You may access more information About Income Inequality and the related CPS ASEC Income Inequality Data Tables at the Income Inequality webpage.
The ACS is the best data source for estimates of income inequality at the state, county, or local level. These tables can be accessed by searching “inequality” at data.census.gov.
Data by quintile, by selected percentiles, and for the top 5 percent are available from the CPS ASEC in the Income Inequality Data Tables.
Data by quintile from the ACS can be accessed by searching “quintile” at data.census.gov.
You can find earnings data for people in this occupation category in our Personal Income: PINC-06 tables. Income data on other characteristics of people, such as work experience, marital status, educational attainment, age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, are accessible through our detailed Current Population Survey Tables for Personal Income page.
For earnings data by occupation at the state county, or local level, you can find ACS data on this topic by searching “occupation by median earnings” at data.census.gov.
The female-to-male earnings ratio compares the median earnings of women working full-time, year-round to the median earnings of men working full-time, year-round. On our Income Data Tables webpage, click on the “Income in the United States” link for the year you select. This page includes a table with historical data on the female-to-male earnings ratio.
For women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s earnings at the state, county, or local level, you can find ACS data on this by searching for “Table S2002” at data.census.gov/.
Information on the inflation series used to adjust historical income estimates is available at our Current versus Constant (or Real) Dollars webpage.
A description of the CPS ASEC tax model, as well as comprehensive documentation, recent research, and user notes are accessible on the Tax Model for the CPS ASEC webpage.
You can access the latest income reports from the CPS ASEC and the ACS on the Income Publications webpage. We also have America Counts: Stories About Income that often accompany the latest releases.
You can access the microdata files on our Annual Social and Economic Supplements webpage. If you are having trouble accessing or downloading our data, please contact the Income Statistics Branch at [email protected] for instructions.
You can access ACS data on income at data.census.gov. If you are having trouble accessing or downloading our data, please contact the Income Statistics Branch at [email protected] for instructions.