U.S. income, poverty and employment statistics
Income, poverty and employment describe different aspects of household resources. A median household income does not tell us how many people have low incomes, and unemployment describes only people in the civilian labor force.
What resources do households have, and who is counted in the labor force?
Household income, per-capita income, poverty, child poverty, participation and unemployment are integrated. Industry output, wages and business counts need separate producers.
| Measure | United States | Who is counted / uncertainty |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income 2020–2024 · 2024 dollars · B19013 · median | $80,734 ± $166 (90% MOE) | Households Median household income in the past 12 months, expressed in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. |
| Per-capita income 2020–2024 · 2024 dollars · B19301 · mean | $44,673 ± $122 (90% MOE) | Total population Total personal income divided by total population, expressed in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. |
| People below the poverty threshold 2020–2024 · percent · B17001 · percentage | 12.5% Derived MOE not calculated | Population for whom poverty status is determined Numerator: 40,735,661. Denominator: 327,079,188. |
| Children below the poverty threshold 2020–2024 · percent · B17001 · percentage | 16.1% Derived MOE not calculated | People under age 18 for whom poverty status is determined Numerator: 11,678,577. Denominator: 72,384,401. |
| Unemployment among residents 2020–2024 · percent · B23025 · percentage | 5.2% Derived MOE not calculated | Civilian labor force age 16 and older Numerator: 8,902,365. Denominator: 170,199,520. |
| Labor-force participation 2020–2024 · percent · B23025 · percentage | 63.5% Derived MOE not calculated | Population 16 years and over Numerator: 171,493,285. Denominator: 270,181,636. |
Questions and related measures
- What is median household income in the United States? →
- How is median household income measured? →
- How is per-capita income measured? →
- How is people below the poverty threshold measured? →
- How is children below the poverty threshold measured? →
- How is unemployment among residents measured? →
- How is labor-force participation measured? →
Dates, comparisons, and limits
ACS income is expressed in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. ACS five-year unemployment is not a current monthly BLS release. Local prices are not adjusted, and medians cannot be combined.
National, state and county estimates come from the same selected ACS five-year product. A five-year estimate describes the entire 2020–2024 period. It is not an annual observation for 2024, and it should not be described as a current-month statistic. Direct source estimates retain their published margins of error.
For derived percentages, inspect the source counts and denominator. This release retains source component uncertainty but does not calculate a derived margin of error or test whether a difference is statistically meaningful. A descriptive difference does not establish cause or a policy effect.
Historical and geographic context
The annual resident population series uses a single PEP Vintage 2025 release. Other integrated measures use one ACS period; historical ACS trends have not been integrated. County boundaries do not stand in for cities, institution attendance areas or service regions. The coverage page identifies the geographic scope and unavailable products.