Overview

• Census Bureau data show the inflation-adjusted median household income reached $83,730 in 2024, up 1.3% from 2023 yet statistically unchanged from the 2019 high of $83,260.
• Income gains skewed toward the top of the distribution, with the highest-earning 10% up 4.2% to $251,000 compared with a 2.2% rise to $19,900 for the lowest-earning 10%.
• Racial and ethnic outcomes diverged, as Asian households rose 5.1% to $121,700 and Hispanic households climbed 5.5% to $70,950, while White incomes were roughly flat at $92,530 and Black incomes fell 3.3% to $56,020.
• The gender pay gap widened for a second year as women earned 80.9% of men’s earnings, down from 82.7% a year earlier, reflecting stronger gains for men.
• Inflation averaged 2.9% in 2024, down from roughly 8% two years earlier, and the report places the latest figures in a recovery that followed three straight annual declines after 2019 with the first rebound in 2023.