U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

American Community Survey Reports

Income, Earnings, and Poverty 

From the 2004 American 

Community Survey Issued August 2005

ACS-01

By

Peter Fronczek

Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 1

U.S. Census Bureau

INTRODUCTION

This report looks at information 

on income, earnings, and poverty 

collected in the 2004 American 

Community Survey (ACS). (The text 

box What Is the American Community Survey? describes the survey.) 

The income, earnings, and poverty 

information from the ACS provide 

a measure of the country’s economic well-being. This report uses 

the unique ability of the ACS to 

produce: estimates for the United 

States, states, and lower levels of 

geography such as counties and 

local areas; detailed tabulations 

or cross-classifications; and yearly 

data for local areas to track changes over time. 

The U.S. Census Bureau also reports 

on income and poverty based on 

the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC). The CPS ASEC 

asks detailed questions about 

income from over 50 sources. It is 

the official source of poverty estimates for the United States and provides detailed estimates of income, 

poverty, and health insurance at 

both the national and state level.

The Census Bureau recommends 

that people use the CPS ASEC as the 

data source for national estimates 

of income and poverty. While both 

the ACS and the CPS ASEC offer 

income and poverty estimates at 

the state level, it is important not 

to draw conclusions from comparisons across surveys. For example, 

it is inappropriate to compare a 

state estimate of poverty in the ACS 

to a different state estimate in the 

CPS ASEC.1

The report has three main sections: 

household income; the earnings 

of men and women—the largest 

component of income for most 

people; and poverty. The income 

and poverty estimates are based 

solely on money income received 

(exclusive of certain money receipts 

such as capital gains and lump-sum 

payments) before payments for personal income taxes, social security, 

union dues, Medicare deductions, 

etc. Money income does not include the value of noncash benefits 

such as food stamps, health benefits, subsidized housing, payments 

by employers for retirement programs and medical and educational 

expenses, and goods produced and 

consumed on the farm. 

1 For guidance about when to use income 

and poverty estimates from each survey, 

see Guidance on Differences in Income and 

Poverty Estimates from Different Sources at 

<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income

/newguidance.html>.

Income, Earnings, and Poverty 

From the 2004 American 

Community Survey

What Is the American Community Survey?

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a new approach to collecting reliable, timely information needed by local communities. It will 

replace the decennial census long form in future censuses and is a 

critical element in the Census Bureau’s 2010 Decennial Census Program. Like the long form it is designed to replace, the ACS collects 

detailed demographic, socioeconomic, and housing information.

Fully implemented in 2005, the ACS is the largest household survey 

in the United States, with a sample size of about 3 million housing 

unit addresses throughout the country. Release of annual estimates 

from the ACS will begin in 2006 for all geographic areas with a population of 65,000 or more; 3-year average estimates will begin in 2008 

for areas and subpopulations as small as 20,000; and 5-year average 

estimates will start in 2010 for census tracts, block groups, and small 

subpopulations. All estimates, including the 3-year and 5-year average estimates, will be updated every year.

During the testing program (2000 to 2004), the ACS collected information from approximately 800,000 addresses per year and produced estimates for the United States, states, and essentially all places, counties, and metropolitan areas with at least 250,000 people.

The data contained in this report are based on the ACS sample 

interviewed in 2004. The population represented (the population 

universe) is limited to the household population and excludes the 

population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group 

quarters. For information on the ACS sample design and other ACS 

topics, visit <http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes

/exp_acs2004.html>. 
2 Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 

U.S. Census Bureau

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

Household income includes the 

income of the householder and all 

other people 15 years and older in 

the household, whether related to 

the householder or not. This report 

focuses on median household 

income. The median is the point 

that divides the household income 

distribution into two equal parts, 

one part having incomes above 

the median and the other having 

incomes below the median. The 

median is based on the distribution 

of the total number of households, 

including those with no income or 

negative income.

The information on income was 

collected during monthly interviews 

conducted between January and 

December 2004. Respondents were 

asked about income received during 

the 12-month period prior to the 

interview, yielding a total time span 

covered by responses of 23 months. 

All income data were inflationadjusted to reflect calendar year 

2004 dollars. (Details are provided 

in the Text Box How Is Income Collected and Measured in the ACS?) 

Median Household Income for 

the United States and States

Median household income in the 

United States in 2004 was $44,684 

(Table 1).2 This was not different 

from median household income in 

2003 ($44,686, in 2004 dollars).3 

Household income estimates varied 

from state to state, ranging from a 

median of $61,359 for New Jersey 

to $31,504 for West Virginia. Some 

other states with relatively high 

household income (about $55,000 

or higher) included Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, and 

New Hampshire, while other states 

with relatively low median household income (about $35,500 or 

lower) included Arkansas, Kentucky, 

Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and 

Oklahoma.4

The map in Figure 1 displays the 

relationship of state median household income to the median for the 

United States. Median incomes in 

18 states and the District of Columbia were above the U.S. median 

and in 28 states were below it. 

Four states had median household 

incomes in 2004 that were not different from the U.S. median. 

Figure 1 shows that the states 

above the median tended to be in 

the Northeast and West regions.5 

2 The estimates in this report (which may 

be shown in text, figures, and tables) are 

based on responses from a sample of the population and may differ from actual values because of sampling variability or other factors. 

As a result, apparent differences between the 

estimates for two or more groups may not be 

statistically significant. All comparative statements have undergone statistical testing and 

are significant at the 90-percent confidence 

level unless otherwise noted.

3 The CPS ASEC also found no change in 

median household income between 2003 and 

2004.

4 Because of sampling error, the estimates 

of household income for the high-income 

states mentioned here may not be statistically different from one another. The same is 

true for the low-income states. Hawaii, with 

a median income of $53,554, is not statistically different from the high income criteria 

of $55,000, and New Mexico ($36,043) is not 

statistically different from the low income criteria of $35,500. 

5 The Northeast region includes the states 

of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New 

Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Midwest 

region includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, 

Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, 

Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, 

and Wisconsin. The South region includes 

the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, 

Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, 

South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, 

West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, a 

state equivalent. The West region includes the 

states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, 

Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, 

Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

How Is Income Collected and Measured in the ACS?

The information on income and earnings presented in this report were 

collected during monthly interviews conducted between January and 

December 2004. Respondents were asked about income for the 12-

month period prior to the interview (the reference period), yielding a 

total income time span covering 23 months. For example, for those interviewed in March 2004 the income reference period was from March 

2003 to February 2004, while for those interviewed in December 2004, 

the reference period was December 2003 to November 2004. 

All income was adjusted to reflect calendar year 2004 dollars. That 

is, the 12 different reference periods were adjusted to reflect a fixed 

reference period, in this case January 2004 through December 2004, 

using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This adjustment took the sum 

of the 2004 monthly CPI adjustment factors, divided it by the sum of 

the monthly CPI adjustment factors for the income reference period, 

and multiplied the result by the income.

Example: Consider a household interviewed in June 2004 with a 

household income of $43,265. The sum of the CPI monthly adjustment factors for 2004 was 2,266.6. The sum of the CPI monthly adjustment factors for the reference period for a June 2004 interview was 

2,227.1. Dividing 2,266.6 by 2,227.1 results in an adjustment factor 

of 1.0177. Multiplying the reported household income of $43,265 by 

this adjustment factor results in a 2004 inflation-adjusted household 

income of $44,031. 

For information on income in the ACS and how it differs from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS 

ASEC), which also collects information on income, and for a comparison of median household income data from the ACS and the CPS ASEC, 

visit <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/newguidance

.html>.
Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 3

U.S. Census Bureau

Seven of the nine Northeast states—

Connecticut, Massachusetts, New 

Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 

Rhode Island, and Vermont—had 

median household incomes above 

the U.S. median, while Maine and 

Pennsylvania had median incomes 

that fell below the U.S. median.

Similarly, 6 of the 13 states in the 

West region had household incomes 

above the median. They were 

Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, 

Utah, and Washington. Those in the 

West below the median were Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, 

and Oregon. Nevada and Wyoming 

had median incomes that were not 

different from the U.S. median.

More than half the states in the Midwest (8 out of 12) and South (13 out 

of 16 and the District of Columbia) 

had median household incomes that 

were below the U.S. median. Illinois 

and Minnesota in the Midwest and 

Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and 

the District of Columbia in the South 

had incomes above the national median. Michigan and Wisconsin in the 

Midwest had medians that were not 

different from the U.S. median. 

Figure 1 also shows that incomes 

were generally higher along the two 

coasts than they were elsewhere in 

the country. Of the five states on 

the Pacific Ocean—Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington—all except Oregon had a median household income above the 

U.S. median. On the Atlantic coast, 

9 of the 14 states that border the 

Atlantic Ocean had medians above 

the U.S. median.

Median Household Income for 

Counties and Places

One of the strengths of the ACS is 

its ability to produce estimates for 

substate geography. During its testing phase (2000 to 2004), the ACS 

produced yearly estimates for areas 

of 250,000 or more people. Table 

2 identifies the counties and places 

of this size with the 10 highest and 

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4 Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 

U.S. Census Bureau

10 lowest estimates of 2004 median 

household income.6

For counties of 250,000 or more 

people, median household income 

estimates ranged from $88,133 for 

Fairfax County, VA, to $24,778 for 

Hidalgo County, TX, compared with 

the U.S. median of $44,684. All 

counties in Table 2 with high median household incomes were found 

in states with incomes above the 

U.S. median. For places of 250,000 

people or more, median household 

income ranged from $71,765 for 

San Jose, CA, to $24,031 for Miami, 

FL. Unlike counties, one place with 

high income, Raleigh, NC, was not 

in a state with a median household 

income above the U.S. median.

Eight out of ten counties of 250,000 

people or more with the lowest incomes were in states with incomes 

below the U.S. median. The two 

exceptions were Bronx County, NY, 

and Baltimore city, MD. (Baltimore 

city is considered a county equivalent.) At the place level, 6 out of 

10 of the lowest income places 

were in lower income states. The 

exceptions were Newark, NJ, and 

Buffalo, NY, which were in states 

with medians above the U.S. level; 

and Detroit, MI, and Milwaukee, WI, 

which were in states with medians 

that were not different from the U.S. 

median.

Median Household Income 

Over Time

The ACS can be used to track 

changes over time. During the ACS 

testing period, the Census Bureau 

presented yearly comparison data 

for areas of one million or more 

people. Table 3 presents estimates 

of median household income for the 

37 counties and 9 places of this size 

for the period 2000 to 2004.

The majority of counties with one 

million or more people (32 out of 

37) had no change in real median 

household income from 2003 to 

2004.7 For the five counties with 

changes, three—King County, WA; 

Palm Beach County, FL; and 6 Because of sampling error, the estimates 

for the high-income counties and places mentioned here and shown in Table 2 may not be 

statistically different from one another or from 

counties and places not mentioned. The same 

is true for the low-income counties and places.

7 All income data were inflation-adjusted 

to reflect calendar year 2004 dollars. “Real” 

refers to the comparison of income after adjusting for inflation.

Figure 1.

Median Household Income: 2004

(In 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey.

States with median 

household income above, 

below, or not different 

from the U.S. median

Above the U.S. median

Not different from the 

U.S. median

Below the U.S. median

U.S. median 2004 household 

income = $44,684

MT

AK

NM

OR MN

KS

SD

ND

MO

WA

FL

IL IN

WI NY

PA

MI

OH

IA

ME

MA

CT 

AZ

NV

TX

CA CO

WY

UT

ID

NE

OK

GA

AR

AL

NC

MS

LA

TN

KY

VA

SC

WV

RI 

DE

MD

NJ 

HI

VT NH
Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 5

U.S. Census Bureau

Philadelphia County, PA—had 

declines in real median household 

income. The two counties with 

increases were Fairfax County, VA, 

and Orange County, CA.

For the nine places of one million or 

more people, eight had real median 

household incomes in 2004 that 

were not different from those in 

2003. The one place with a change, 

Philadelphia, PA, had a lower real 

median income in 2004 than in 

2003. 

EARNINGS OF MEN AND 

WOMEN

This section examines the earnings 

of men and women. Earnings data 

are limited to full-time, year-round 

workers who are 16 years and older 

unless noted otherwise. For most 

individuals, earnings are the largest 

component of their total income. 

(The Text Box What Are “Earnings”? 

describes how earnings data are 

collected in the ACS.)

Men’s and Women’s Earnings by 

State

Table 4 shows median earnings 

in 2004 for men and women, and 

women’s earnings as a percentage 

of men’s earnings by state and the 

District of Columbia. States that 

had high median household income, 

as shown in Table 1 and Figure 1, 

such as Connecticut, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, and New Jersey, also 

had high median earnings. All four 

of these states, along with the 

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U.S. Census Bureau

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Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 7

U.S. Census Bureau

What Are “Earnings”?

“Earnings” are the sum of wage and salary income and selfemployment income. Wages are sometimes distinguished from 

salaries by the time period that is the basis for payment. Wage 

earners are often hourly employees, while salaried individuals are 

usually paid an annual salary. Earnings are often a large part of 

overall income. The 2004 ACS showed that 82 percent of aggregate 

household income came from earnings. 

This report concentrates on year-round, full-time workers 16 or older 

unless noted otherwise. Year-round means an individual worked 50 

or more weeks in the past 12 months (or is an elementary or secondary school teacher who worked 37 or more weeks). Full-time means 

the individual usually worked 35 or more hours a week.

The text of the 2004 ACS questions used to determine earnings were:

41. INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS.

Mark (X) the “Yes” box for each type of income this person received, 

and give your best estimate of the TOTAL AMOUNT during the PAST 

12 MONTHS. (NOTE: The “past 12 months” is the period from today’s 

date one year ago up through today.)

Mark (X) the “No” box to show types of income NOT received.

If net income was a loss, mark the “loss” box to the right of the dollar 

amount.

For income received jointly, report the appropriate share for each person—or, if that’s not possible, report the whole amount for only one 

person and mark the “No” box for the other person.

a. Wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, or tips from all 

jobs. Report amount before deductions for taxes, bonds, dues, or 

other items.

b. Self-employment income from own nonfarm businesses or 

farm businesses, including proprietorships and partnerships. 

Report NET income after business expenses.

ACS questionnaires can be found at <http://www.census.gov/acs

/www/SBasics/SQuest/SQuest1.htm>.

District of Columbia, were among 

the highest in median earnings for 

both men and women.8

Despite gains made by women in 

recent years, men’s earnings were 

uniformly higher than women’s 

earnings. At the U.S. level, the median earnings of men in 2004 were 

$41,194, while women had median 

earnings of $31,374, or 76.2 percent of men’s earnings. In each of 

the 50 states and the District of Columbia, women’s earnings were less 

than men’s. The District of Columbia was the area with the greatest 

parity between men’s and women’s 

earnings (90.9 percent). 

Figure 2 displays the relationship 

between men’s and women’s earnings for all states and the District 

of Columbia. The Northeast, South, 

and West regions all have states 

in which women’s earnings as a 

percentage of men’s earnings were 

relatively high (falling into the two 

highest categories in Figure 2), as 

well as states in which the percentage is relatively low (falling into 

one of the two lowest categories). 

The states of the Midwest fall into 

the middle and lower categories of 

Figure 2. The West, with six states 

in the two highest categories, and 

the South, with five states and 

the District of Columbia in those 

categories, have more states where 

women’s earnings come closest to 

parity with men’s earnings than do 

the Northeast and Midwest. 

Table 4 and Figure 2 show earnings 

data without respect to the characteristics of the people on which 

the data are based. Table 5 shows 

men’s and women’s median earnings 

and the relationship between the 

two by several characteristics usually associated with earnings.

Median Earnings by Race and 

Hispanic Origin

The ACS allows respondents to 

report more than one race.9 The 

discussion of race groups in the text 

of this report refers to people who 

indicated only one racial identity 

among the six major categories: 

White, Black, American Indian and 

Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 

8 Because of sampling error, the estimates 

of earnings for the high earning states mentioned here may not be statistically different 

from one another or from other states not 

mentioned.

9 Federal surveys now give respondents 

the option of reporting more than one race. 

Therefore, two basic ways of defining a race 

group are possible. A group such as Asian 

may be defined as those who reported Asian 

and no other race (the race-alone or singlerace concept) or as those who reported Asian 

regardless of whether they also reported 

another race (the race-alone-or-in-combination concept). The body of this report (text, 

figures, and text tables) shows data using the 

first approach (race alone). Table A-1 shows 

data using both approaches. Use of the 

single-race population does not imply that it is 

the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. The Census Bureau uses a variety of 

approaches.
8 Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 

U.S. Census Bureau

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Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 9

U.S. Census Bureau

Some Other Race.10 Hispanic is not 

a racial category, and Hispanics may 

be any race.11 

Asian men ($46,888) had the highest median earnings in 2004 of any 

group shown in Table 5.12 NonHispanic Whites ($45,573) were 

the second highest male earners, 

followed by Black men ($32,686), 

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific 

Islander men ($32,403), and American Indian and Alaska Native men 

($32,113).13 Each of these race 

groups had higher median earnings 

than Hispanic men ($26,749).14 The 

lowest median earnings for men 

among race groups were for Some 

Other Race ($26,679).15 This is a 

category used in the ACS to classify individuals who did not identify 

themselves as being in one of the 

other race groups.

The pattern observed for men was 

similar for women. Asian women 

had the highest median earnings 

($36,137), followed by non-Hispanic 

White women ($32,678). Women 

of Some Other Race had the lowest 

median earnings of any race group 

($23,565). The earnings of Hispanic 

women ($24,030) were not different from the earnings of Native 

Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 

women ($27,989) or Some Other 

Race women.16

10 Unless footnoted to the contrary, all 

comparative statements regarding race in 

the text (which are based on the race-alone 

concept) are also true in terms of statistical 

significance for the race-alone-or-in-combination concept. Race-alone (single-race) data 

and race-alone-or-in-combination data for a 

particular group are not compared in the text 

of this report.

11 The ACS incorporated the federal standards for collecting and presenting data on 

race and Hispanic origin established by the 

Office of Management and Budget in October 

1997, considering race and Hispanic origin to 

be two separate and distinct concepts.

12 In this report, the term “non-Hispanic 

White” refers to people who are not Hispanic 

and who reported White and no other race. 

The Census Bureau uses non-Hispanic Whites 

as the comparison group for other race groups 

and Hispanics.

13 The median earnings of Black men, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander men, 

and American Indian and Alaska Native men 

were not statistically different from each other. 

When race-alone-or-in-combination groups 

were compared, the median earnings for 

Black men were statistically different from the 

earnings of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific 

Islander men and American Indian and Alaska 

Native men. 

14 Because Hispanics may be any race, data 

in this report for Hispanics overlap with data 

for racial groups.

15 The median earnings of Some Other 

Race men and Hispanic men were not statistically different.

16 The median earnings of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander women were 

also not statistically different from the median 

earnings of Black women and American Indian 

and Alaska Native women. When race-aloneor-in-combination groups were compared, the 

earnings of Hispanic women and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander women were 

statistically different. 

Figure 2.

Women’s Earning as a Percentage of Men’s Earnings: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey.

Women’s earnings as

a percentage of men’s 

earnings by state

82.0 to 90.9

78.0 to 81.9

75.0 to 77.9

MT

AK

NM

OR MN

KS

SD

ND

MO

WA

FL

IL IN

WI NY

PA

MI

OH

IA

ME

MA

CT 

AZ

NV

TX

CA CO

WY

UT

ID

NE

OK

GA

AR

AL

NC

MS

LA

TN

KY

VA

SC

WV

RI 

DE

MD

NJ 

HI

VT NH

71.0 to 74.9

67.1 to 70.9
10 Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 

U.S. Census Bureau

For each single-race group shown 

in Table 5, except Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, men 

had higher median earnings than 

women.17 The same was true for 

Hispanics. Excluding Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, 

the race group furthest from parity 

was non-Hispanic Whites, in which 

women earned 71.7 percent of 

men’s earnings.18 Women’s median 

earnings were more than 85 percent 

of men’s median earnings for Black 

women, Some Other Race women, 

and Hispanic women.

17 When race-alone-or-in-combination 

groups were compared, men had higher median earnings than women for all race groups 

including Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific 

Islanders.

18 Being a relatively small single-race 

group, the sampling error for the estimate of 

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 

women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s 

earnings was high. There was no statistical 

difference in this estimate between Native 

Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders and any 

of the other single-race groups or Hispanics. 

When race-alone-or-in-combination groups 

were compared, the percentage of women’s 

earnings to men’s earnings of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander group was 

different from that of the Some Other Race 

group and that of Hispanics.

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Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 11

U.S. Census Bureau

Median Earnings by 

Educational Attainment

Data on median earnings by educational attainment in Table 5 are 

for all individuals 25 and older with 

earnings and are not limited to fulltime, year-round workers. 

A person’s level of education is 

considered to be a predictor of their 

earnings—the more education, the 

higher the potential earnings. Table 

5 shows that this was true for both 

men and women in 2004. The 

median earnings of men with less 

than a high school education were 

$21,760. This increased to $31,183 

for high school graduates and to 

$37,883 for men with some college 

or an associate’s degree. Men who 

completed college and received 

a bachelor’s degree had median 

earnings of $52,242. The highest 

median earnings, $68,239, were for 

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12 Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 

U.S. Census Bureau

19 There was no statistical difference in 

women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s 

earnings between men and women with some 

college or an associate’s degree and those with 

a graduate or professional degree.

20 Median earnings for the five industry 

sectors mentioned here are not necessarily 

statistically different from each other or from 

sectors not mentioned. 

21 There was no statistical difference between the management of companies and enterprises sector, and the finance and insurance 

sector; and there was no statistical difference 

between the management of companies and 

enterprises sector, and the professional, scientific, and technical services sector.

22 Because of the way medians are produced in the ACS, a median and corresponding 

90-percent confidence interval could not be 

calculated for men in legal occupations. For 

this reason, this report does not discuss this 

category. 

23 It appears that men’s and women’s earnings for legal occupations would have fallen in 

this category if a percentage and confidence 

interval could have been calculated.

24 It is likely that legal occupations would 

have been one of the highest earning occupations for men if a median and confidence 

interval could have been calculated.

men with a graduate or professional 

degree.

Women who did not complete high 

school earned $13,280 in 2004, 

while graduating from high school 

increased women’s earnings to 

$19,821. Attending but not completing college, or receiving an associate’s degree resulted in median 

earnings of $25,235, while women 

who completed college earned 

$35,195. As with men, women who 

received a graduate or professional 

degree earned the most ($46,004).

While education increased both 

men’s and women’s earnings, at 

each level of education men earned 

more than women. The earnings 

gap was greatest between men and 

women with less than a high school 

education. At this education level, 

women earned 61.0 percent of what 

men earned. The gap in earnings 

narrowed as educational level increased. For men and women with 

a high school education, women 

earned 63.6 percent of what men 

earned, while they earned 

66.6 percent when both had some 

college or an associate’s degree. 

The gap narrowed further when 

both men and women had a bachelor’s degree. At that educational 

level, women earned 67.4 percent 

of what men earned. Additional 

education beyond a bachelor’s or 

equivalent degree did not affect 

the difference in earnings. Women 

earned 67.4 percent of men’s earnings when both had a graduate or 

professional degree.19

Median Earnings by Industry 

and Occupation 

Data on earnings by type of industry and occupation and class of 

worker are limited to full-time, yearround, civilian workers 16 years and 

older. Industry refers to the kind of 

business conducted by a person’s 

employing organization; occupation 

describes the kind of work a person 

does on the job.

The industries for which data are 

collected in the ACS are commonly 

grouped into sectors. Table 5 

shows that of the 20 major industry sectors, men earned the most 

in 2004 in the management of 

companies and enterprises sector 

($77,754). The professional, scientific, and technical services sector 

had the second highest median 

earnings for men ($68,676). Men 

earned less in the accommodation 

and food services sector ($22,694), 

the sector with the lowest median 

earnings for men. Also providing 

lower earnings for men was the 

agriculture, forestry, fishing, and 

hunting sector ($26,263).

For women, there was no one sector 

that led in median earnings. Women had median earnings of about 

$40,000 or higher in the following 

sectors: management of companies 

and enterprises ($41,608); mining 

($41,516); professional, scientific, 

and technical services ($41,398); 

utilities ($40,981); and information ($40,447).20 As with men, the 

sectors with the lowest earnings for 

women were accommodation and 

food services ($19,217) and agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting 

($20,518). 

In each of the 20 industry sectors, 

men earned more than women. The 

sectors where the earnings gap 

between men and women was the 

largest were management of companies and enterprises, where women 

earned 53.5 percent of men; finance 

and insurance (57.5 percent); and 

professional, scientific, and technical services (60.3 percent).21

Occupations are commonly categorized into 22 major occupational 

groups. Even when women and 

men were in the same major occupational group, men had higher 

median earnings than women.22 

Women’s earnings as a percentage 

of men’s earnings were about 

90 percent or higher for the following groups: installation, maintenance, and repair occupations; 

community and social services occupations; construction and extraction occupations; and health care 

support occupations. In contrast, 

women’s earnings as a percentage 

of men’s earnings were about 65 

percent or less for sales and related 

occupations and health care practitioner and technical occupations.23

Men earned the most in health 

care practitioner and technical occupations ($69,124) and the least 

in food preparation and serving 

related occupations ($20,395) and 

farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ($22,124).24 Women who 

worked in computer and mathematical occupations had the highest 

median earnings ($56,585) followed by women in architecture and 

engineering occupations ($51,581). 

The occupational groups with the 

lowest median earnings for women 

were food preparation and serving related occupations ($17,007); 

farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ($17,098); and building and 
Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 13

U.S. Census Bureau

25 There was no statistical difference in 

women’s median earnings between farming, 

fishing, and forestry occupations and food 

preparation and serving related occupations; 

and there was no statistical difference between farming, fishing, and forestry occupations and building and grounds cleaning and 

maintenance occupations. There was a difference between food preparation and serving 

related occupations and building and grounds 

cleaning and maintenance occupations.

26 For both men and women, the lowest 

median earnings were for people working 15 

hours or more unpaid in a family business. 

This group is not discussed in this report 

because the earnings data and the class of 

worker data in Table 5 likely refer to different 

work experiences. Earnings data reflect any 

earnings during the 12 months prior to the 

ACS interview. Class of worker data reflect the 

job held the week before the ACS interview.

27 The percentage of women’s earnings to 

men’s earnings for local government workers 

and private, not-for-profit wage and salary 

workers was not statistically different.

grounds cleaning and maintenance 

occupations ($17,758).25

Median Earnings by Class of 

Worker

Data from the class of worker categories allow analyses of employees 

by the type of ownership of the 

organization employing them. Men 

who were self-employed in their 

own incorporated business had 

the highest earnings at $56,711, 

followed by federal government 

employees with median earnings 

of $51,358, and state government 

employees at $45,633. The lowest 

median earnings for men were for 

those employed in their own unincorporated business ($35,732).26

For women, those employed by the 

federal government had the highest median earnings, at $44,247, 

followed by those employed in their 

own incorporated business, with a 

median of $37,874. Similar to men, 

those employed in their own unincorporated business had the lowest 

earnings ($21,698).

For each of the class of worker categories shown in Table 5, men had 

higher earnings than women. The 

earnings gap was greatest for men 

and women employed in their own 

businesses, whether that business 

was unincorporated, where women 

earned 60.7 percent of what men 

earned, or incorporated, where they 

earned 66.8 percent of men. The 

greatest parity in earnings was for 

men and women employed by the 

federal government (86.2 percent), 

followed by local government workers (82.3 percent), and private, notfor-profit wage and salary workers 

(81.4 percent).27 

POVERTY 

This section describes poverty 

rates in the United States based on 

data collected in the 2004 ACS and 

compares them with data from prior 

years. (The Text Box How Is Poverty Measured in the ACS? explains 

the official definition of poverty.) 

Information presented here on the 

geographic distribution and dimensions of poverty highlight the use of 

ACS data for these topics.

How Is Poverty Measured in the ACS? 

Poverty status data from the 2004 ACS were derived from questionnaire items 41 and 42, the same questions used to derive the income 

data. While the official poverty rate for the United States is based on 

data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic 

Supplement (CPS ASEC), the ACS is a reliable source of survey estimates of poverty for substate areas available on an annual basis.

Poverty statistics presented in this report and all ACS products adhere 

to the standards specified by the Office of Management and Budget 

in Statistical Policy Directive 14. The Census Bureau uses a set of 

money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition 

to determine who is in poverty. If a family’s total income is less than 

that family’s threshold, then that family and every individual in it are 

considered to be in poverty. The poverty thresholds do not vary geographically. They are updated annually to allow for changes in the 

cost of living (inflation factor) using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). 

Since ACS respondents are interviewed throughout the year and 

asked about their income for the last 12 months, the appropriate poverty thresholds are determined by multiplying the base-year poverty 

thresholds (1982) by the average of the monthly inflation factors for 

the 12 months preceding the interview.

Example: Consider a family of three with one child under 18 years 

of age, interviewed in July 2004 and reporting a total income of 

$14,000 for the past 12 months (July 2003 to June 2004). The base 

year (1982) threshold for such a family is $7,765, while the average 

of the 12 inflation factors is 1.92834. Multiplying $7,765 by 1.92834 

shows the poverty threshold for a family of three with one child 

under 18 for the 1-year period preceding the interview to be $14,974. 

Comparing this result with the family’s income of $14,000 shows that 

the family and all individuals in the family are considered to have 

been in poverty. For further information on poverty in the ACS, visit 

the Census Bureau’s Web site at <http://www.census.gov/acs/www

/UseData/Def/Poverty.htm>. 

For information on poverty in the ACS and how it differs from the CPS 

ASEC, and for a comparison of poverty rates from the ACS and the 

CPS ASEC, visit <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty

/newguidance.html>. 
14 Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 

U.S. Census Bureau

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Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 15

U.S. Census Bureau

Poverty Rates for the United 

States and States

Figure 3 shows the relationship of 

state poverty rates to the U.S. rate. 

Eighteen states and the District of 

Columbia had poverty rates higher 

than the U.S. rate of 13.1 percent, 

while 23 states had rates below the 

U.S. level. Nine states had poverty 

rates that did not differ from the 

U.S. rate.

As with income, there is a regional 

pattern to the relationship of state 

poverty rates to the U.S. rate. Six of 

the nine states in the Northeast had 

poverty rates that were below the 

U.S. rate, with New York having a 

higher rate. Maine and Rhode Island 

had rates that were not different 

from the U.S. rate. Similarly, in the 

Midwest, no state had a poverty rate 

higher than the U.S. rate, and four 

states—Michigan, Missouri, North 

Dakota, and Ohio—had rates not different from the U.S. poverty rate. 

The pattern was different in the 

South. Of the 16 states and the District of Columbia that compose the 

region, 12 states and the District 

had poverty rates above the national rate. Delaware, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia had rates below 

the U.S. rate. The pattern was less 

clear for the West region, where five 

states had poverty rates higher than 

the U.S. rate, five had lower rates, 

Figure 3.

Poverty Rates in the Past 12 Months: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey.

MT

AK

NM

OR MN

KS

SD

ND

MO

WA

FL

IL IN

WI NY

PA

MI

OH

IA

ME

MA

CT 

AZ

NV

TX

CA CO

WY

UT

ID

NE

OK

GA

AR

AL

NC

MS

LA

TN

KY

VA

SC

WV

RI 

DE

MD

NJ 

HI

VT NH

States with poverty rates

in the past 12 months above, 

below, or not different from 

the U.S. rate

Above the U.S. rate

Not different from the 

U.S. rate

Below the U.S. rate

U.S. 2004 poverty 

rate = 13.1 percent

28 The CPS ASEC, the source for the official 

poverty rate for the U.S., also found an increase in poverty between 2003 and 2004.

According to the ACS, the poverty 

rate for the United States was 

13.1 percent in 2004, an increase 

from the rate of 12.7 percent in 

2003.28 Table 6 shows that stateby-state poverty rates varied, from 

7.6 percent for Connecticut and 

New Hampshire to 21.6 percent for 

Mississippi. In addition to Mississippi, states with relatively high 

poverty rates (about 17.5 percent or 

higher) included Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and West Virginia, 

as well as the District of Columbia. 

In addition to New Hampshire and 

Connecticut, states with relatively 

low poverty rates (about 8.5 percent 

or lower) included Alaska, Minnesota, and New Jersey.29

29 Because of sampling error, the estimates 

of poverty rates for the high-poverty states 

mentioned here may not be statistically different from one another. The same is true for the 

low-poverty states. Kentucky, with a poverty 

rate of 17.4 percent, is not statistically different from the high poverty criteria of 17.5 percent, and Maryland (8.8 percent) and Vermont 

(9.0 percent) are not statistically different from 

the low poverty criteria of 8.5 percent.
16 Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 

U.S. Census Bureau

and three states were not different 

from the U.S. rate. 

Poverty Rates for Counties and 

Places

The ACS also produces yearly poverty estimates for areas of 250,000 

or more people. Table 7 shows 

poverty rates for the 10 counties 

and places with the highest and 

lowest poverty rate estimates.30 

Poverty rate estimates for counties 

ranged from 2.6 percent for Johnson County, KS, to 43.6 percent for 

Hidalgo County, TX. Most counties 

with the highest poverty rates, 7 

out of 10 of those shown in Table 

7, were in states with a poverty rate 

above the U.S. level. The exceptions were Philadelphia County, PA, 

Baltimore city, MD, and St. Louis 

city, MO (both county equivalents). 

All 10 of the lowest poverty rate 

counties were in states with rates 

below the U.S. poverty rate.

For places with the highest and 

lowest poverty rates, the situation 

was different. The highest povertyrate places included in Table 7 were 

almost evenly divided between 

higher-poverty states and lowerpoverty states. Four of the highest 

poverty places, Atlanta, GA; Buffalo, 

NY; El Paso, TX; and Memphis, TN, 

were in states with a poverty rate 

above the U.S. rate. Four places (Miami, FL; Milwaukee, WI; Newark, NJ; 

and Philadelphia, PA) were in states 

with poverty rates below the rate 

for the country. Detroit, MI, and 

Long Beach, CA, were in states that 

did not differ from the U.S. poverty 

rate. For the lowest poverty places, 

four were in states with rates below 

the U.S rate, two were in states with 

30 Because of sampling error, the estimates 

for the high-poverty counties and places mentioned here and shown in Table 7 may not be 

statistically different from one another or from 

counties and places not mentioned. The same 

is true for low-poverty counties and places.

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Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 17

U.S. Census Bureau

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18 Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 

U.S. Census Bureau

rates above the U.S. level, and four 

were in states with rates that did 

not differ from the U.S. rate.

Poverty Rates Over Time

Table 8 looks at poverty rates of 

counties and places of one million 

people or more from 2000 to 2004. 

It shows that of the 37 counties of 

that size, 7 had changes in poverty 

rates between 2003 and 2004. Two 

of the seven, Broward County, FL, 

and Oakland County, MI, had decreases in poverty rates during the 

period, while the other five—Allegheny County, PA; Bronx County, NY; 

King County, WA; Nassau County, 

NY; and Wayne County, MI—had 

increases. One of the nine places 

of one million people or more, New 

York, NY, had an increase in poverty 

between 2003 and 2004. 

Depth of Poverty Measures

While categorizing people as “in 

poverty” or “not in poverty” is one 

way to describe their economic situation, economic experiences usually 

cover a broader spectrum. For an 

expanded understanding of economic well-being, this report measures “depth of poverty” by looking 

at two groups of people: those 

with income at or above their 

poverty threshold but below 

125 percent of the threshold and 

those with income below 50 percent 

of their poverty threshold. Data 

show that people move in and out 

of poverty over time.31 The population between 100 percent and 

124 percent of their threshold is the 

group most likely to move into poverty. For those below 50 percent of 

their poverty level, being in poverty 

may be a chronic situation and they 

may have the hardest time moving 

out of poverty. Table 9 looks at 

characteristics of the people near 

the poverty level and those below 

50 percent of the poverty level.

Depth of Poverty by Age, Sex, 

and Place of Birth

Table 9 shows that overall, 

4.5 percent of the population had 

incomes that were between 100 

percent and 124 percent of their 

poverty threshold, and 5.7 percent 

were below 50 percent of their 

thresholds. A smaller percentage of 

children younger than 18 were near 

their poverty threshold (5.4 percent) 

than were below 50 percent of their 

threshold (8.3 percent). The situation was the opposite for people 

65 or older, where 5.9 percent were 

near their threshold and 2.1 percent 

were below 50 percent of poverty. 

For people between 18 and 64, the 

prime working years, 3.8 percent 

were near their poverty threshold 

and 5.3 percent below 50 percent of 

poverty.

Higher percentages of both men 

and women were below 50 percent 

of poverty than were near their 

poverty threshold. Both categories 

contained a higher percentage of 

women (4.8 percent and 6.4 percent) than men (4.1 percent and 

5.0 percent).

While a higher percentage of the 

native population were concentrated below 50 percent of poverty 

(5.6 percent) than were between 

100 and 124 percent of their poverty threshold (4.2 percent), for those 

born outside the United States, 

about the same percentage were 

in each category. The foreign born 

were more likely to be near their 

threshold (6.3 percent) and below 

50 percent of poverty (6.6 percent) 

than were natives (4.2 and 

5.6 percent).

Depth of Poverty by Race and 

Hispanic Origin

Non-Hispanic Whites (3.4 percent), 

along with Asians (3.6 percent) and 

Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific 

Islanders (2.7 percent), were the 

race groups least likely to have 

incomes that placed them near their 

poverty thresholds.32 The Some 

Other Race group had the highest 

percentage of any race group near 

their threshold (8.2 percent). This 

is a category for individuals who 

did not identify themselves as being 

in one of the other race groups. 

Among Hispanics (who may be any 

race), 7.8 percent were near their 

poverty threshold.33

Blacks (12.6 percent) and American 

Indians and Alaska Natives 

(11.4 percent) were the single-race 

groups with the highest percentage 

below 50 percent of their poverty thresholds.34 For each of the 

groups except Some Other Race, a 

higher concentration of people were 

below 50 percent of poverty than 

were between 100 and 124 percent 

of poverty. This was also true for 

Hispanics.

Depth of Poverty by Other 

Characteristics

Table 9 also shows that people who 

worked less than full-time and less 

than year-round, were not part of 

married-couple families, had a disability, had less than a high school 

education, and lived in renteroccupied housing were more 

likely to have income between 

100 percent and 124 percent of 

their poverty threshold or below 

50 percent of their threshold than 

people working full-time and yearround, in married-couple families, 

with a high school education or 

more, without a disability, and 

living in owner-occupied housing. 

31 For more detail on the movement of 

people in and out of poverty, see P70-91, 

“Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Poverty 

1996–1999, by John Iceland <http://www

.sipp.census.gov/sipp/p70s/p70-91.pdf>.

32 There was no statistical difference between these three race groups. 

33 There was no statistical difference between Hispanics and those of Some Other 

Race.

34 There was no statistical difference between Blacks and American Indians and Alaska 

Natives.
Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 19

U.S. Census Bureau

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20 Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 

U.S. Census Bureau

SOURCE OF THE DATA

The data in this report are from the 

2004 ACS. The population represented (the population universe) in 

the ACS is limited to the population 

living in households and excludes 

the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and 

other group quarters. According to 

Census 2000, 7.8 million people, or 

2.8 percent of the total population, 

lived in group quarters. Of this 

number, 4.1 million were institutionalized—primarily in correctional 

institutions and nursing homes, 

2.1 million were in college dormitories, and 1.7 million were in all 

other types of group quarters. 

ACCURACY OF THE 

ESTIMATES

Statistics from surveys are subject 

to sampling and nonsampling error. 

Data from the ACS are based on a 

sample and are estimates of the 

actual figures that would have been 

obtained by interviewing the entire 

population using the same methodology. All comparisons presented 

in this report have taken sampling 

error into account and are significant at the 90-percent confidence 

level unless noted otherwise. This 

means the 90-percent confidence 

interval for the difference between 

the estimates being compared does 

not include zero.

Nonsampling errors in surveys may 

be attributed to a variety of sources, 

such as how the survey is designed, 

how respondents interpret questions, how able and willing they 

are to provide correct answers, and 

how accurately the answers are 

keyed, coded, edited, and classified. Nonsampling errors in the ACS 

may affect the data in two ways. 

Errors that are introduced randomly 

increase the variability of the estimates. Systematic errors consistent 

in one direction introduce bias into 

the results. The Census Bureau protects against systematic errors by 

conducting extensive research and 

evaluation programs on sampling 

techniques, questionnaire design, 

and data collection and processing 

procedures.

The final ACS population estimates 

are adjusted in the weighting procedure for coverage error by controlling specific survey estimates to 

independent population controls by 

sex, age, race, and Hispanic origin. 

The final ACS estimates of housing 

units are controlled to independent 

estimates of total housing. This 

weighting partially corrects for 

bias due to over or undercoverage, 

but biases may still be present, 

for example, when people missed 

differ from those interviewed in 

ways other than sex, age, race, and 

Hispanic origin. How this weighting 

procedure affects other variables in 

the survey is not precisely known. 

All of these considerations affect 

comparisons across different surveys or data sources.

For further information on the ACS 

sample, weighting procedures, sampling error, nonsampling error, and 

quality measures from the ACS, see 

<http://factfinder.census.gov

/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004

.html>. 

MORE INFORMATION

Detailed tables from the 2004 ACS 

are available on the Internet at the 

Census Bureau’s web site <http:

//www.census.gov>. Once on the 

site, click on the “American Community Survey”, or contact the Customer Services Center at 301-763-INFO 

(4636).

Figure 4.

Between 100–124 Percent and Below 50 Percent of

Poverty Level by Race and Hispanic Origin

(Percent)

100–124 percent

Less than 50 percent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey.

3.8

3.4

6.4

12.6

7.1

11.4

3.6

5.6

2.7

8.6

8.2 8.2

White

alone,

not

Hispanic

Black

alone

American

Indian and

Alaska

Native

alone

Asian

alone

Native

Hawaiian

and Other

Pacific Islander

alone

Some

Other

Race

alone

7.8

8.6

Hispanic

(any race)
Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey 21

U.S. Census Bureau

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