Distribution of household income U.S. 2022 | Statista (2024)

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Distribution of household income U.S. 2022 | Statista? ›

In 2022, just over 50 percent of Americans had an annual household income that was less than 75,000 U.S. dollars. The median household income was 74,580 U.S. dollars in 2022.

The top 3.65%, with incomes over $200,000, earned 17.5%. Households with annual incomes from $50,000 to $75,000, 18.2% of households, earned 16.5% of all income. Households with annual incomes from $50,000 to $95,000, 28.1% of households, earned 28.8% of all income. The bottom 10.3% earned 1.06% of all income.

Over one-third of American families earn $100,000 or more

The U.S. Census Bureau found that 37.1% of U.S. households earned at least $100,000 in 2022. Here's a more detailed breakdown of six-figure income brackets and the percentage of households in each one: $100,000 to $149,999: 16.9% $150,000 to $199,999: 8.7%

The top 10% of household incomes starts at $191,406, the top 5% at $290,406, and the top 1% at $867,436. Those are the nationwide numbers, but they also vary considerably if you account for other factors, such as age or location. Income is a key part of personal finance, but it's not all that matters.

The difference between perception and facts is even more pronounced when looking at households with an annual income of more than $500,000. While the median weighted responses from survey participants suggest that one-fifth of U.S. households belong to that bracket, it's actually the oft-cited top 1%.

This means that approximately 3.8% of American households have an annual income of at least $300,000 before taxes and other deductions.

A $200,000 household income is more than most people earn across the U.S. In fact, just 12% of U.S. households earn $200,000 or more annually, according to Census Bureau data.

What income is upper middle class? ›

Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range. "The upper middle class has grown...and its composition has changed.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only about 6% of Americans earn an annual salary of $100,000 or more. That amounts to around 8 million households crossing into 6-figure territory.

What Percent of America Makes Six Figures? When you remove demographics such as infants, students, and stay-at-home spouses and focus only on full-time workers, around 18% of all earners in the US make at least six figures. Conversely, the median American household income in 2023 was approximately $44,225.

You'll need to earn more than half a million annually to be considered among the highest earning residents in 11 states and Washington, D.C.

The real median household income in the U.S. is around $71,000, according to the latest Census Bureau data. In order to be in the top 20% of income, you'd need to earn nearly double that amount or an average of $130,545 per year.

In 2024, a large U.S. city's middle-class income averages between $52,000 and $155,000, with the median household income across all 345 cities at $77,345, making middle-class income limits fall between $51,558 and $154,590, SmartAsset noted.

Wages and salaries comprise the largest overall source of total income.

Wealth distribution in America has become increasingly concentrated since 1990. Today, the share of wealth held by the richest 0.1% is currently at its peak, with households in the highest rung having a minimum of $38 million in wealth. Overall, roughly 131,000 households fall into this elite wealth bracket.