Household Income: 2016

American Community Survey Briefs

INTRODUCTION

This report presents data on median household income 

and the Gini index of income inequality based on the 

2015 and 2016 American Community Surveys (ACS). 

The ACS provides detailed estimates of demographic, 

social, economic, and housing characteristics for 

states, congressional districts, counties, places, and 

other localities every year. A description of the ACS is 

provided in the text box “What Is the American 

Community Survey?”1

 Estimates from the 2016 ACS 

show a significant increase in median household 

income at the national level and for 30 states.2

 Median 

household income increased between 2015 and 2016 

for 21 of the 25 most populous metropolitan areas.3

The Gini index was not significantly higher in 2016 

than 2015 for the United States. 

The estimates contained in this report are primarily 

based on the 2015 and 2016 ACS. The ACS is conducted every month, with income data collected for the 

12 months preceding the interview. Since the survey is 

continuous, adjacent ACS years have income reference 

months in common. Therefore, comparing the 2015 

ACS with the 2016 ACS is not an exact comparison of 

1 The text of this report discusses data for the United States, 

including the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data for the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, collected with the Puerto Rico 

Community Survey, are shown in Table 1, Figure 1, and Figure 3. 2 The medians from this report were calculated from the microdata 

and household and family distributions using 2016 dollars. Inflation 

adjusting previous year published estimates using the CPI-U-RS will not 

match exactly the estimates in this report. 3 Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas (metro and micro 

areas) are geographic entities delineated by the Office of Management 

and Budget for use by federal statistical agencies in collecting, tabulating, and publishing federal statistics. The term “Core Based Statistical 

Area” is a collective term for both metro and micro areas. A metro area 

contains a core urban area of 50,000 or more population, and a micro 

area contains an urban core of at least 10,000 (but less than 50,000) 

population. For more information, see <www.census.gov 

/population/metro/>.

the economic conditions in 2015 with those in 2016, 

and comparisons should be interpreted with care.4

 For 

more information on the ACS sample design and other 

topics, visit <www.census.gov/acs/www>.

Median Household Income: 2015–2016 

National and State Comparisons

Real median household income in the United States 

increased 2.4 percent between the 2015 and 2016 

ACS.5

 The 2016 U.S. median household income was 

$57,617 (see Table 1). This was the fourth consecutive 

4 For a discussion of this and related issues, see Howard Hogan, 

“Measuring Population Change Using the American Community Survey,” 

Applied Demography in the 21st Century, Steven H. Murdock and David 

A. Swanson, Springer Netherlands, 2008. 5 All income estimates in this report are micro data inflationadjusted to 2016 dollars. “Real” refers to income after adjusting for 

inflation.

By Gloria G. Guzman

Issued September 2017

ACSBR/16-02

Household income: Includes income of the 

householder and all other people 15 years and 

older in the household, whether or not they are 

related to the householder.

Median: The point that divides the household 

income distribution into halves, one-half with 

income above the median and the other with 

income below the median. The median is based 

on the income distribution of all households, 

including those with no income.

Gini index: Summary measure of income 

inequality. The Gini index varies from 0 to 1, 

with a 0 indicating perfect equality, where there 

is a proportional distribution of income. A Gini 

index of 1 indicates perfect inequality, where 

one household has all the income. 
2 U.S. Census Bureau

year with a statistically significant 

increase in the ACS estimate of 

median household income for the 

nation.

State household median income 

estimates from the 2016 ACS 

ranged from $78,945 in Maryland 

to $41,754 in Mississippi (see 

Table 1).6

 The median household 

income for Puerto Rico in 2016 was 

$20,078. Median household income 

was lower than the U.S. median 

in 28 states and higher than the 

U.S. median in 19 states and the 

District of Columbia. Vermont, 

Oregon, and Nebraska had medians 

not statistically different from the 

U.S. median.

6 There was no statistically significant 

difference between Maryland and the District 

of Columbia.

For 20 states and the District of 

Columbia, real median household 

income in the 2016 ACS was not 

statistically different from that in 

the 2015 ACS. Between the 

2015 ACS and the 2016 ACS, 

30 states showed an increase in 

real median household income. 

Pennsylvania (1.2 percent) had one 

of the smallest increases, and Idaho 

(6.3 percent) had one of the largest increases. Puerto Rico showed 

an increase of 6.7 percent in real 

median household income. No state 

showed a significant decrease in 

median household income.

Median Household Income: 

25 Most Populous Metropolitan 

Areas

Table 2 shows median household 

income for the 25 most populous 

metropolitan areas.

According to the 2016 ACS, 

median household income ranged 

from $96,667 in the San FranciscoOakland-Hayward, CA Metro 

Area to $51,115 in the TampaSt. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metro 

Area. Median household incomes 

for San Francisco-OaklandHayward, CA Metro Area ($96,667) 

and the Washington-ArlingtonAlexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro 

Area ($95,843) were among the 

highest medians for the most 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

DC

TX

CA

MT

AZ

ID

NV

NM

CO

IL

OR

UT

KS

WY

IA

NE

SD

MN

FL

ND

OK

WI

MO

WA

AL GA

LA

AR

MI

IN

PA

NY

NC

MS

TN

VA

KY

OH

SC

ME

WV

VT

NH

NJ

MA

CT

MD

DE

RI

AK

PR

HI

Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months

for the United States and Puerto Rico: 2016

Figure 1.

0 500 Miles

0 100 Miles

0 100 Miles

0 50 Miles

U.S. Median Household

Income is $57,617

United States median does not

include data for Puerto Rico.

Income by state in 2016

inflation-adjusted dollars

$60,000 or more

$50,000 to $59,999

$45,000 to $49,999

Less than $45,000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community

Survey, 2016 Puerto Rico Community Survey.

Note: For more information,

see www.census.gov/acs.

A state abbreviation surrounded

by the " " symbol denotes the value

for the state is not statistically different

from the U.S. median.
U.S. Census Bureau 3

Table 1.

Median Household Income and Gini Index in the Past 12 Months by State and Puerto Rico: 

2015 and 2016

(In 2016 inflation-adjusted dollars. Data are limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college 

dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and defintions, see 

www.census.gov/acs)

State

2015 ACS 

median household 

income (dollars)

2016 ACS 

median household 

income (dollars)

Change in median 

income (Percent)

2015 ACS Gini 

coefficients

2016 ACS Gini 

coefficients

Change in Gini 

coefficients

Estimate

Margin 

of error1

(±) Estimate

Margin 

of error1

(±) Estimate

Margin 

of error1

(±) Estimate

Margin 

of error1

(±) Estimate

Margin 

of error1

(±) Estimate

Margin 

of error1

(±)

 United States . . 56,277 93 57,617 115 *2 .4 0 .3 0 .482 0 .001 0 .482 0 .001 0 .001 0 .001

Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . 45,182 723 46,257 677 *2 .4 2 .2 0 .481 0 .005 0 .485 0 .005 0 .004 0 .007

Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74,165 1,968 76,440 2,230 3 .1 4 .1 0 .432 0 .014 0 .408 0 .011 *–0 .024 0 .017

Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,062 504 53,558 634 *2 .9 1 .6 0 .470 0 .004 0 .471 0 .005 0 .001 0 .007

Arkansas . . . . . . . . . . . 42,530 631 44,334 921 *4 .2 2 .7 0 .477 0 .006 0 .472 0 .006 –0 .005 0 .009

California . . . . . . . . . . . 65,087 326 67,739 356 *4 .1 0 .8 0 .488 0 .002 0 .490 0 .002 0 .002 0 .002

Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . 64,598 749 65,685 636 *1 .7 1 .5 0 .458 0 .005 0 .459 0 .004 0 .001 0 .006

Connecticut . . . . . . . . . 72,121 989 73,433 1,059 1 .8 2 .0 0 .492 0 .004 0 .495 0 .005 0 .003 0 .007

Delaware . . . . . . . . . . . 61,882 1,453 61,757 1,492 –0 .2 3 .4 0 .452 0 .012 0 .452 0 .011 0 .000 0 .016

District of Columbia . . . 75,991 1,705 75,506 3,416 –0 .6 5 .0 0 .535 0 .016 0 .542 0 .012 0 .007 0 .020

Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49,852 296 50,860 241 *2 .0 0 .8 0 .487 0 .003 0 .485 0 .003 –0 .002 0 .004

Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . 51,753 436 53,559 710 *3 .5 1 .6 0 .480 0 .004 0 .481 0 .004 0 .001 0 .005

Hawaii . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74,451 1,787 74,511 1,776 0 .1 3 .4 0 .435 0 .007 0 .442 0 .007 0 .007 0 .010

Idaho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48,728 951 51,807 963 *6 .3 2 .9 0 .453 0 .011 0 .450 0 .010 –0 .002 0 .014

Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60,094 345 60,960 389 *1 .4 0 .9 0 .482 0 .003 0 .481 0 .003 –0 .001 0 .004

Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,896 446 52,314 371 *2 .8 1 .2 0 .452 0 .004 0 .453 0 .004 0 .001 0 .006

Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55,172 719 56,247 695 *1 .9 1 .8 0 .439 0 .005 0 .445 0 .005 0 .006 0 .007

Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54,520 719 54,935 893 0 .8 2 .1 0 .460 0 .007 0 .455 0 .005 –0 .005 0 .009

Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . 45,541 508 46,659 600 *2 .5 1 .7 0 .478 0 .005 0 .481 0 .006 0 .003 0 .008

Louisiana . . . . . . . . . . . 46,106 755 45,146 776 –2 .1 2 .3 0 .491 0 .005 0 .499 0 .006 *0 .008 0 .007

Maine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,111 1,000 53,079 1,379 1 .9 3 .3 0 .452 0 .010 0 .452 0 .008 0 .000 0 .013

Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . 76,596 612 78,945 737 *3 .1 1 .3 0 .452 0 .004 0 .450 0 .003 –0 .003 0 .005

Massachusetts . . . . . . . 71,146 738 75,297 771 *5 .8 1 .5 0 .485 0 .004 0 .479 0 .003 *–0 .006 0 .005

Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . 51,584 267 52,492 402 *1 .8 0 .9 0 .467 0 .003 0 .470 0 .003 0 .003 0 .004

Minnesota . . . . . . . . . . 64,188 557 65,599 606 *2 .2 1 .3 0 .449 0 .004 0 .450 0 .004 0 .000 0 .005

Mississippi . . . . . . . . . . 40,910 620 41,754 556 *2 .1 2 .1 0 .476 0 .006 0 .483 0 .007 0 .007 0 .009

Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,642 472 51,746 374 *2 .2 1 .2 0 .463 0 .004 0 .465 0 .005 0 .001 0 .006

Montana . . . . . . . . . . . . 49,924 1,218 50,027 1,096 0 .2 3 .3 0 .462 0 .009 0 .467 0 .011 0 .004 0 .014

Nebraska . . . . . . . . . . . 55,474 886 56,927 767 *2 .6 2 .1 0 .447 0 .007 0 .448 0 .007 0 .000 0 .010

Nevada . . . . . . . . . . . . 53,320 1,004 55,180 901 *3 .5 2 .6 0 .455 0 .007 0 .458 0 .007 0 .003 0 .010

New Hampshire . . . . . . 70,813 1,395 70,936 1,422 0 .2 2 .8 0 .435 0 .008 0 .430 0 .009 –0 .004 0 .012

New Jersey . . . . . . . . . 73,242 869 76,126 701 *3 .9 1 .6 0 .483 0 .003 0 .481 0 .003 –0 .002 0 .004

New Mexico . . . . . . . . . 45,710 941 46,748 826 2 .3 2 .8 0 .480 0 .007 0 .477 0 .007 –0 .003 0 .009

New York . . . . . . . . . . . 61,311 349 62,909 631 *2 .6 1 .2 0 .514 0 .003 0 .513 0 .002 –0 .001 0 .004

North Carolina . . . . . . . 48,420 477 50,584 292 *4 .5 1 .2 0 .478 0 .004 0 .478 0 .004 0 .000 0 .005

North Dakota . . . . . . . . 60,944 1,682 60,656 1,528 –0 .5 3 .7 0 .466 0 .012 0 .453 0 .012 –0 .013 0 .017

Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51,610 284 52,334 275 *1 .4 0 .8 0 .464 0 .003 0 .468 0 .003 0 .004 0 .005

Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . 49,062 483 49,176 625 0 .2 1 .6 0 .470 0 .005 0 .465 0 .005 –0 .006 0 .006

Oregon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54,748 740 57,532 855 *5 .1 2 .1 0 .462 0 .005 0 .458 0 .005 –0 .004 0 .007

Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . 56,207 408 56,907 360 *1 .2 1 .0 0 .469 0 .003 0 .469 0 .003 0 .000 0 .004

Rhode Island . . . . . . . . 58,826 1,924 60,596 1,591 3 .0 4 .3 0 .473 0 .009 0 .478 0 .010 0 .005 0 .014

South Carolina . . . . . . . 47,790 582 49,501 601 *3 .6 1 .8 0 .470 0 .005 0 .474 0 .005 0 .004 0 .007

South Dakota . . . . . . . . 53,746 970 54,467 1,289 1 .3 3 .0 0 .444 0 .009 0 .450 0 .012 0 .006 0 .015

Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . 47,818 526 48,547 675 1 .5 1 .8 0 .479 0 .005 0 .479 0 .004 0 .000 0 .006

Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56,139 362 56,565 300 0 .8 0 .8 0 .482 0 .002 0 .480 0 .002 –0 .002 0 .003

Utah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63,794 1,128 65,977 955 *3 .4 2 .4 0 .425 0 .005 0 .426 0 .007 0 .001 0 .009

Vermont . . . . . . . . . . . . 57,565 1,454 57,677 1,672 0 .2 3 .9 0 .445 0 .010 0 .454 0 .009 0 .009 0 .014

Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66,916 631 68,114 748 *1 .8 1 .5 0 .468 0 .003 0 .471 0 .003 0 .002 0 .005

Washington . . . . . . . . . 64,764 641 67,106 595 *3 .6 1 .4 0 .456 0 .004 0 .459 0 .005 0 .003 0 .006

West Virginia . . . . . . . . 42,620 847 43,385 1,112 1 .8 3 .3 0 .458 0 .006 0 .471 0 .008 *0 .013 0 .010

Wisconsin . . . . . . . . . . 56,115 470 56,811 549 1 .2 1 .3 0 .441 0 .003 0 .450 0 .004 *0 .009 0 .005

Wyoming . . . . . . . . . . 60,570 1,772 59,882 2,214 –1 .1 4 .7 0 .437 0 .015 0 .436 0 .013 –0 .001 0 .020

Puerto Rico . . . . . . . . . 18,810 325 20,078 354 *6 .7 2 .6 0 .559 0 .008 0 .542 0 .007 *–0 .017 0 .011

* Statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level .

1

 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability . A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability . The larger th

the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate . This number when added to and subtracted from the estimate forms the 90 percent confid

Source: U .S . Census Bureau, 2015 and 2016 American Community Surveys, 2015 and 2016 Puerto Rico Community Surveys .

e margin of error in relation to 

ence interval . 
4 U.S. Census Bureau

populous metropolitan areas.7

Median household incomes for 

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, 

FL Metro Area ($51,115), MiamiFort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, 

FL Metro Area ($51,362), and the 

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 

Metro Area ($52,385) were among 

the lowest medians for the most 

populous metropolitan areas.8

Median household income 

increased in 21 of the 25 most 

7 There was no statistically significant 

difference between the Washington-ArlingtonAlexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area and the 

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA Metro 

Area. 8 There was no statistically significant 

difference between the Tampa-St. PetersburgClearwater, FL Metro Area and the Miami-Fort 

Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Metro Area.

populous metropolitan areas 

between 2015 and 2016. None of 

these 25 metropolitan areas experienced a statistically significant 

decrease. Changes for HoustonThe Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX; 

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL; 

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, 

PA-NJ-DE-MD; and San Antonio-New 

Braunfels, TX Metro Areas were not 

statistically significant (see Figure 2).

Median Household Income: 

Race and Hispanic Origin of 

Householder

Real median household income 

between 2015 and 2016 increased 

for all households across all major 

race and Hispanic-origin groups 

(see Table 3).9

 The median household income ranged from $80,720 

for households with Asian householders to $38,555 for households 

9 Federal surveys 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 

single-race concept) or as those who reported 

Asian regardless of whether they also 

reported another race (the race-alone-or-incombination concept). This report shows data 

using the race alone approach. 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. In this report, the 

terms “White, not Hispanic” and “non-Hispanic 

White” are used interchangeably and refer 

to people who are not Hispanic and who 

reported White and no other race. Since 

Hispanics may be any race, data in this report 

for Hispanics overlap with data for race 

groups.

Table 2.

Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months by 25 Most Populous Metropolitan Areas

(In 2016 inflation-adjusted dollars. Data are limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college 

dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and defintions, see 

www.census.gov/acs)

Metropolitan area

2015 ACS median 

household income 

(dollars)

2016 ACS median 

household income 

(dollars)

Change in median 

income 

(Percent)

Estimate

Margin of 

error1

 (±) Estimate

Margin of 

error1 (±) Estimate

Margin of 

error1 (±)

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60,554 503 62,613 890 *3 .4 1 .7

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73,395 917 76,788 1,312 *4 .6 2 .2

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79,783 1,330 82,380 1,171 *3 .3 2 .3

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55,235 872 59,979 1,223 *8 .6 2 .8

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63,959 680 66,020 578 *3 .2 1 .4

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62,135 533 63,812 923 *2 .7 1 .7

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70,686 884 71,926 781 *1 .8 1 .7

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54,268 639 56,142 588 *3 .5 1 .6

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61,931 615 61,708 615 –0 .4 1 .4

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63,443 562 65,950 495 *4 .0 1 .2

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . 50,752 451 51,362 402 *1 .2 1 .2

Minneapolis-St . Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71,593 659 73,231 899 *2 .3 1 .6

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69,437 573 71,897 442 *3 .5 1 .1

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51,540 976 52,385 963 1 .6 2 .7

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metro Area . . . . . . . 65,647 741 65,996 762 0 .5 1 .6

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56,034 728 58,075 803 *3 .6 2 .0

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64,592 1,106 68,676 1,175 *6 .3 2 .6

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56,619 1,023 58,236 1,104 *2 .9 2 .7

St . Louis, MO-IL Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57,049 870 59,780 991 *4 .8 2 .4

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55,533 996 56,105 1,019 1 .0 2 .6

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68,116 1,538 70,824 995 *4 .0 2 .8

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89,469 1,373 96,677 1,273 *8 .1 2 .2

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76,061 764 78,612 1,063 *3 .4 1 .7

Tampa-St . Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metro Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49,402 799 51,115 514 *3 .5 2 .0

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area . . . . . . . 94,430 976 95,843 925 *1 .5 1 .4

* Statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level .

1

 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability . A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability . The larger the margin of error 

in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate . This number when added to and subtracted from the estimate forms the 90 percent confidence 

interval . 

Source: U .S . Census Bureau, 2015 and 2016 American Community Surveys .
U.S. Census Bureau 5

with Black householders. The 

median household income for 

households with Black householders increased by 4.4 percent, from 

$36,923 in 2015 to $38,555 in 

2016. Median household income 

for households with non-Hispanic 

White householders increased 

by 2.0 percent, from $61,941 in 

2015 to $63,155 in 2016. Median 

household income for households 

with Asian householders increased 

by 3.1 percent, while median 

household income for households 

with Hispanic-origin householders 

increased by 3.9 percent.10

Median Household Income: 

Age of Householder

Real median household income 

between 2015 and 2016 increased 

for households across all age 

groups. Households maintained 

by householders aged 45 to 64 

had the highest median household 

10 The differences between the 2015–2016 

percentage changes in median household 

income for Black, Asian, and Hispanic-origin 

households were not statistically significant.

income in 2016 ($69,822), 

followed by those with householders aged 25 to 44 ($62,815), and 

those with householders aged 65 

and older ($42,113). Those maintained by householders under age 

25 had the lowest median household income ($30,524). 

Income Inequality

The Gini index for the United States 

in the 2016 ACS (0.482) was not 

statistically different from the 

2015 ACS estimate. The Gini index 

Figure 2. 

Median Household Income for the 25 Most Populous Metropolitan Areas:

2015 and 2016

(For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, 

see www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/technical-documentation/code-lists.html)

*San Francisco

*Washington, DC

*Boston

*Seattle

*Baltimore

*Minneapolis-St. Paul

*Denver

*New York

*San Diego

*Portland

*Chicago

Philadelphia

*Los Angeles

*Dallas

*Atlanta

Houston

 *All Metro Areas

 *Charlotte

*St. Louis

*Riverside

*Phoenix

*Detroit

San Antonio

Orlando

*Miami

*Tampa

2015 2016

Thousands of dollars

45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

* Change statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015 and 2016 American Community Surveys. 
6 U.S. Census Bureau

for the 2016 ACS increased in 

Louisiana, West Virginia, and 

Wisconsin. Massachusetts, Alaska, 

and Puerto Rico showed a decrease 

in the Gini index. The remaining 45 

states and the District of Columbia 

showed no statistically significant 

changes between the 2015 ACS and 

the 2016 ACS. Gini indexes from 

the 2016 ACS ranged from 0.542 

in the District of Columbia to 0.408 

in Alaska (Table 1, Figure 3). Five 

states and the District of Columbia 

had Gini indexes higher than the 

index for the United States. There 

were 36 states with Gini indexes 

lower than the U.S. index. The 

remaining nine states had Gini 

indexes that were not statistically 

different from the U.S. index (Table 

1, Figure 3). Since 2006, the earliest year available in the ACS, the 

national Gini index increased 3.9 

percent from 0.464 to 0.482.

Source and Accuracy

The data presented in this report 

are based on the ACS sample 

interviewed from January 1, 2015, 

through December 31, 2015 (2015 

ACS), and the ACS sample interviewed January 1, 2016, through 

December 31, 2016. The estimates 

based on this sample describe the 

average values of person, household, and housing unit characteristics over this period of collection. 

Sampling error is the uncertainty 

between an estimate based on 

a sample and the corresponding 

value that would be obtained if the 

estimate were based on the entire 

population (as from a census). 

What Is the American Community Survey?

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey 

designed to provide reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data for the nation, states, congressional districts, 

counties, places, and other localities every year. It has an annual sample size of about 3.5 million addresses across the United States and 

Puerto Rico and includes both housing units and group quarters (e.g., 

nursing homes and prisons). The ACS is conducted in every county 

throughout the nation, and every municipio in Puerto Rico, where it 

is called the Puerto Rico Community Survey. Beginning in 2006, ACS 

data for 2005 were released for geographic areas with populations 

of 65,000 and greater. For information on the ACS sample design 

and other topics, visit <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Table 3. 

Household Income by Selected Characteristics: 2015 and 2016

(In 2016 inflation-adjusted dollars. Data are limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college 

dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and defintions, see 

www.census.gov/acs)

Characteristic

2015 ACS median 

household income 

(dollars)

2016 ACS median 

household income 

(dollars)

Percent change in median 

household income 

Estimate

Margin of 

error1

 (±) Estimate

Margin of 

error1 (±) Estimate

Margin of 

error1 (±)

HOUSEHOLDS

All households . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Race and Hispanic Origin of 

Householder

56,277 93 57,617 115 *2 .4 0 .27

White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60,157 96 61,349 88 *2 .0 0 .22

 White, not Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61,941 107 63,155 127 *2 .0 0 .27

Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,923 180 38,555 248 *4 .4 0 .84

Asian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78,285 680 80,720 446 *3 .1 1 .06

Hispanic (any race) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Age of Householder

45,124 232 46,882 210 *3 .9 0 .71

Under 25 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,609 329 30,524 223 *6 .7 1 .45

25 to 44 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61,179 127 62,815 204 *2 .7 0 .40

45 to 64 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68,001 188 69,822 202 *2 .7 0 .41

65 years and older . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41,501 130 42,113 138 *1 .5 0 .46

*Statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level .

1

 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability . A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability . The larger the margin of error 

in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate . This number when added to and subtracted from the estimate forms the 90 percent confidence 

interval . 

Source: U .S . Census Bureau, 2015 and 2016 American Community Surveys, and 2015 and 2016 Puerto Rico Community Surveys .
U.S. Census Bureau 7

Measures of sampling error are 

provided in the form of margins 

of error for all estimates included 

in this report. All comparative 

statements in this report have 

undergone statistical testing, and 

comparisons are significant at the 

90 percent level, unless otherwise 

noted. In addition to sampling 

error, nonsampling error may be 

introduced during any of the operations used to collect and process 

survey data such as editing, reviewing, or keying data from questionnaires. For more information on 

sampling and estimation methods, 

confidentiality protection, and 

sampling and nonsampling errors, 

please see the 2016 ACS Accuracy 

of the Data document located at 

<www.census.gov/programs 

-surveys/acs/technical 

-documentation/code-lists.html>.

NOTES

The U.S. Census Bureau also 

reports income estimates 

based on data from the Current 

Population Survey (CPS). The CPS 

is the longest-running survey 

conducted by the Census Bureau. 

The CPS Annual Social and 

Economic Supplement (ASEC) 

asks detailed questions categorizing income into over 50 sources. 

The key purpose of the CPS ASEC is 

to provide timely and detailed estimates of income and to measure 

change in national-level estimates. 

The CPS ASEC is the official source 

of national poverty estimates. See 

<www.census.gov/content/dam 

/Census/library/publications/2017 

/demo/p60-259.pdf>.

For information on income estimates from the ACS and how they 

differ from those based on the CPS 

ASEC, see “Fact Sheet: Differences 

Between the American Community 

Survey and the Annual Social and 

Economic Supplement to the 

Current Population Survey” at 

<www.census.gov/topics 

/income-poverty/poverty/guidance 

/data-sources/acs-vs-cps.html>.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

DC

TX

CA

MT

AZ

ID

NV

NM

CO

IL

OR

UT

KS

WY

IA

NE

SD

MN

FL

ND

OK

WI

MO

WA

AL GA

LA

AR

MI

IN

PA

NY

NC

MS

TN

VA

KY

OH

SC

ME

WV

VT

NH

NJ

MA

CT

MD

DE

RI

AK

PR

HI

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community

Survey, 2016 Puerto Rico Community Survey.

Gini Index of Income Inequality in the Past 12 Months

for the United States and Puerto Rico: 2016

Figure 3.

0 500 Miles

0 100 Miles

0 100 Miles

0 50 Miles

Gini Index

0.480 or more

0.470 to 0.479

0.450 to 0.469

Less than 0.450

U.S. Gini Index is 0.482

United States Gini Index does

not include data for Puerto Rico.

Note: For more information,

see www.census.gov/acs.

A state abbreviation surrounded

by the " " symbol denotes the value

for the state is not statistically different

from the U.S. Gini Index.