Business & Finance

US median household income surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2025, Census data shows

Inflation-adjusted median income reached a record $87,460, representing a modest six-year gain.

Updated Sep 15, 2026 · 21:07 UTC2 reports

The short version

Inflation-adjusted median U.S. household income reached a record $87,460 in 2025, surpassing its 2019 pre-pandemic peak.[CBS News · ABC News]
Despite reaching a record, income grew by about 2.5% overall since 2019, compared to 19% growth from 2013 to 2019.[CBS News · ABC News]
Women's earnings increased by 3.2% while men's slightly declined, narrowing the gender wage gap.[CBS News · ABC News]
The figures show top earners' income grew while the lowest-earning tenth experienced a slight decline.[CBS News]

Median U.S. household income rose to a record $87,460 in 2025, surpassing the 2019 peak of $85,320.[CBS News · ABC News]
Inflation-adjusted income grew roughly 2.5% between 2019 and 2025, compared to 19% growth between 2013 and 2019.[CBS News · ABC News]
Women's paychecks increased by 3.2% in 2025 while men's declined slightly, narrowing the wage gap so women earned nearly 84 cents for every dollar men earned.[CBS News · ABC News]
The official U.S. poverty rate dropped by 0.5 percentage points to 10.2% in 2025.[CBS News]
Income for the top 10% of earners increased by 1.7% to $261,300, while income for the bottom 10% slightly declined to just over $20,000.[CBS News]

The exact extent to which the 2025 income data was influenced by tax changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act remains uncertain.[CBS News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.