The average household income varies significantly between major racial or ethnic groups, so understanding the average household income for Americans can be helpful for some people, especially when compared to other groups.
One of the major interest points for most people is to see how the COVID pandemic has impacted American household incomes compared to their own households.
Americans Average Household Income in 2022
The estimated average household income for Americans at $66,169 per year in 2022, which is a significant drop from the official value in 2020 of $74,912.
| Household | Income |
| Americans – 2020 | $74,912 |
| Americans – 2022 | $66,169 |
| Average US Household Income | $87,864 |
The 2022 income report by the US government shows another significant drop that could take many years to recover from.
The most recent dip comes as the COVID pandemic hit the US job market, the 2020 values are the most recent available from the US census bureau, but estimates put 2022 as $66,169, which is a more than $10,000 loss of average income over the past few years and during the major economic downtown of the COVID pandemic.
| Year | Household Income |
| 2020 | $74,912 |
| 2019 | $77,007 |
| 2018 | $77,820 |
| 2017 | $71,958 |
| 2014 | $65,948 |
| 2011 | $63,912 |
| 2007 | $68,731 |
| 1999 | $67,969 |
| 1995 | $62,128 |
| 1991 | $59,335 |
In 2007 there was a high of $68,731, which wasn’t a major jump from previous years, but in 2008 there was a dip to $66.924, which continued to 2011 with an average household income for Americans at $63,912.
It wasn’t until 2015 that the average household income for Americans got back to the 2007 high.
The average income steadily went up to an all-time high of $77.007 in 2019, but now that the pandemic has hit and the average income has started to go down again, it could be a number of years before the average American house income recovers.
Americans Average Income By Gender
The median personal income for Americans split by gender is $65,208 for men and $51,324 for women, which puts women earning 79% that of men.
The wage gap is still significant but has improved over the years, as the wage gap between women and men in 1990 was 67.6%.
| Average Income | Male | Female | Female Earning Gap |
| Caucasian | $65,208.00 | $51,324.00 | 79% |
| Asian | $75,671.00 | $56,807.00 | 87% |
| Hispanic | $41,519.00 | $36,110.00 | 55% |
| Black | $45,644.00 | $41,098.00 | 63% |
Americans Average Income By State
When you compare the average household income for Americans across each state, you see average income much lower than the average income across the state, which indicates other races or ethnicities have a much higher average income.
Typically Americans come in as having the second-highest average income in most locations, while Asian Americans typically have the highest average income.
| State | State Average | Americans | Cost Of Living Index |
| Alabama | $80,098 | $55,267.62 | 88 |
| Alaska | $95,705 | $66,036.45 | 127 |
| Arizona | $93,563 | $64,558.47 | 103 |
| Arkansas | $73,595 | $50,780.55 | 91 |
| California | $109,260 | $75,389.40 | 142 |
| Colorado | $111,730 | $77,093.70 | 105 |
| Connecticut | $112,717 | $77,774.73 | 122 |
| DC | $134,879 | $93,066.51 | 158 |
| Delaware | $88,015 | $60,730.35 | 108 |
| Florida | $134,879 | $93,066.51 | 100 |
| Georgia | $89,679 | $61,878.51 | 89 |
| Hawaii | $100,865 | $69,596.85 | 193 |
| Idaho | $86,823 | $59,907.87 | 102 |
| Illinois | $105,406 | $72,730.14 | 94 |
| Indiana | $93,692 | $64,647.48 | 91 |
| Iowa | $89,448 | $61,719.12 | 90 |
| Kansas | $92,077 | $63,533.13 | 87 |
| Kentucky | $79,926 | $55,148.94 | 93 |
| Louisiana | $75,323 | $51,972.87 | 93 |
| Maine | $87,585 | $60,433.65 | 115 |
| Maryland | $130,850 | $90,286.50 | 124 |
| Massachusetts | $127,044 | $87,660.36 | 135 |
| Michigan | $98,869 | $68,219.61 | 91 |
| Minnesota | $112,222 | $77,433.18 | 100 |
| Mississippi | $66,127 | $45,627.63 | 83 |
| Missouri | $89,400 | $61,686.00 | 90 |
| Montana | $81,696 | $56,370.24 | 101 |
| Nebraska | $98,805 | $68,175.45 | 94 |
| Nevada | $83,588 | $57,675.72 | 106 |
| New Hampshire | $111,787 | $77,133.03 | 110 |
| New Jersey | $119,883 | $82,719.27 | 115 |
| New Mexico | $72,198 | $49,816.62 | 91 |
| New York | $101,402 | $69,967.38 | 148 |
| North Carolina | $83,726 | $57,770.94 | 96 |
| North Dakota | $87,614 | $60,453.66 | 98 |
| Ohio | $82,814 | $57,141.66 | 91 |
| Oklahoma | $75,735 | $52,257.15 | 88 |
| Oregon | $104,543 | $72,134.67 | 130 |
| Pennsylvania | $100,056 | $69,038.64 | 103 |
| Rhode Island | $100,468 | $69,322.92 | 117 |
| South Carolina | $83,231 | $57,429.39 | 94 |
| South Dakota | $90,680 | $62,569.20 | 101 |
| Tennessee | $80,183 | $55,326.27 | 89 |
| Texas | $96,468 | $66,562.92 | 92 |
| Utah | $107,811 | $74,389.59 | 99 |
| Vermont | $98,588 | $68,025.72 | 117 |
| Virginia | $114,811 | $79,219.59 | 101 |
| Washington | $106,549 | $73,518.81 | 112 |
| West Virginia | $75,865 | $52,346.85 | 91 |
| Wisconsin | $91,538 | $63,161.22 | 96 |
| Wyoming | $80,389 | $55,468.41 | 94 |
Cost Of Living Index
The average cost of living is an indication of how expensive a state is to live in compared to the average across the US; the average is considered 100 on the index.
So any states with a higher than 100 index start to see higher prices for things like rent, groceries, utilities, transportation, and almost anything else, such as childcare. The reverse is true for any states coming in below 100, with average costs being lower.
So having a high average household income isn’t the only factor in how well you’re doing; $100,000 in one state may buy you more than in another state. All states are seeing higher prices in almost all services as well, including the basics like food.
Income Comparison by Race
The average household income for Americans ($74,912) sits significantly behind the average household income for Asian Americans ($94,903) but does sit a lot higher than both the average household incomes for Hispanic Americans (55,321) and Black Americans (45,870).
The estimated average income for 2022 has significant drops for Americans and Asian Americans, with slightly less significant drops for Hispanic and Black Americans.
| Race | Average Income 2020 | Estimated Average Income 2022 |
| Caucasian | $74,912 | $65,900 |
| Asian | $94,903 | $87,200 |
| Hispanic | $55,321 | $51,400 |
| Black | $45,870 | $41,400 |
Average Household Income Ranges
In the US, you’re considered middle class if you have a household income of $42,000 to $126,000 per year. On the other hand, you’re living below the poverty line if your household income is below $12,880 for 1 person or $17,420 for 2 people, though this changes per state.
| Range | Percentage |
| Under $15,000 | 9.40% |
| $15,000 – $24,999 | 8.70% |
| $25,000 – $34,999 | 8.10% |
| $35,000 – $49,999 | 11.60% |
| $50,000 – $74,999 | 16.50% |
| $75,000 – $99,999 | 12.20% |
| $100,000 – $149,999 | 15.30% |
| $150,000 – $199,999 | 8% |
| $200,000+ | 10.30% |
Of American households, 14% make over $100,000 per year.
29% of the population is considered lower class and 50% of them are Americans, 52% are considered middle class and 53% of them are Americans, and 19% are considered upper class, with 86% of them being Americans.
| US Total Population | Americans | |
| Lower Class | 29% | 50% |
| Middle Class | 52% | 53% |
| Upper Class | 19% | 86% |
Americans Poverty Level
The poverty rate for Americans is 10.1%, while naturalized black Americans have a poverty rate of 11.8%, but black Americans born in the US have a poverty rate of 26.2%. 11.4% of the US population is considered to live below the poverty line, which is around 37 million people.
| Poverty % | |
| Caucasian American | 10.10% |
| Asian American | 12.00% |
| Hispanic American | 23.60% |
| Black American | 26.20% |
| Native American | 28.30% |
One of the more interesting stats for poverty is that while Asian Americans have the highest incomes by far, they have a higher poverty rate than Americans, who typically come in second for the highest average income.
Poverty is still a significant issue, clearly based on the percentages, and there have been small improvements in the past 8 years, with overall poverty rates being lowered by around 2%.
Americans’ Income vs Other Countries
The average household income for Americans is higher than most other English-speaking Western countries by a significant amount, even with the dip in 2020-2022 in average household income for the US.
| Average Income | USD | |
| White American | $74,912 USD | $74,912 |
| White Canadian | $76,057 CAD | $60,341 |
| White Australian | $66,820 AUD | $49,717 |
| White New Zealander | $67,028 NZD | $45,760 |
| White British | $42,371 GBP | $61,667 |
Though the cost of living in other countries can play a significant factor in how comfortably people live, with the US putting significant costs on its citizens for things like healthcare which is often subsidized heavily or free in some countries.
Much of the research and development for health and other technologies are put on the American public, while other countries get the benefits without the higher costs typically.
Even when looking at military action worldwide, much of the cost for organizations like NATO is footed by Americans, while other countries shoulder much less cost.
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