America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers
📊 New statistics on income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States in 2024 are now available. Get the highlights in five new stories on America Counts.Â
How Education Impacted Income and Earnings From 2004 to 2024
Median household income in the United States for householders age 25 and over was $85,580 in 2024 — marking an 18% increase from 2004. However, the income gap between those with college degrees and those with high school degrees but no college widened over the last two decades.
Supplemental Poverty Rate Below Official Rate in Only 10 States
The national official poverty rate of 10.6% was 2.3 percentage points lower than the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) of 12.9% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Poverty in the United States: 2024 report released this week.
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the three-year average SPM rate (12.7%) topped the official rate (11.1%) from 2022 to 2024.Â
Health Insurance Coverage Varied Significantly by Occupation
Most U.S. workers ages 19 to 64 were covered by health insurance in 2024 but the uninsured rate varied by occupation, sometimes exceeding the uninsured rate among working-age adults who did not work.
The uninsured rate ranged from 2.5% in architecture and engineering occupations to 29.4% in farming, fishing and forestry occupations.
No Significant Change in Estimated U.S. Median Household Income
U.S. real median household income remained flat in 2024 at $83,730, not statistically different from $82,690 in 2023 or $83,260 in pre-pandemic 2019, according to a Census Bureau report released this week.
Median income varied significantly among race and Hispanic origin groups.
U.S. Tax System Reduces Income Inequality But Gaps Remain
The U.S. has a progressive tax system, meaning that higher income households pay more in taxes than lower income households. Despite this, post-tax income inequality persists.
Real median household income after taxes was $72,330 in 2024, up approximately 2% from 2023. Before taxes, median income in 2024 was about 16% higher at $83,730.
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