From CBS News · Aimee Picchi · · 1m 30s
Record US household income, but barely above 2019
Median income hit $87,460 in 2025, yet the typical household has gained almost nothing in six years of pandemic and inflation.
In brief
Median income hit $87,460 in 2025, yet the typical household has gained almost nothing in six years of pandemic and inflation. The record is mostly a recovery. Real median income is only about 2.5% above 2019, and gains are tilting toward top earners. Originally reported by CBS News.
A record, just barely
US households earned a median $87,460 in 2025, per new Census data. That sits only slightly above the 2019 peak of $85,320, a level not beaten until last year.
Six years of standing still
After inflation, the typical household earned about 2.5% more in 2025 than in 2019. In the six years before the pandemic, 2013 to 2019, median income climbed 19%.
Women gain, gap narrows
Women's paychecks rose 3.2% last year while men's slipped slightly. Women now earn nearly 84 cents for every dollar men earn, up from under 81 cents in 2024.
The top pulls away
The top 10% of earners saw income rise 1.7% to $261,300, while the poorest tenth dipped to just over $20,000. Experts link part of this to OBBBA tax cuts favoring high earners.
“It's notable that the median income for the top earners is increasing, while income for the lowest earners is stagnant”
Poverty rate falls
The official US poverty rate dropped 0.5 percentage points to 10.2% in 2025, with child poverty looking especially good.
Safety net cuts not counted yet
OBBBA added new limits on Medicaid and food stamps, and food stamp enrollment fell sharply in 2026. Those effects won't show until the 2026 figures come out in 2027.
“these numbers do not reflect cuts in benefits that started to take effect at the start of 2026”
The essence
The record is mostly a recovery. Real median income is only about 2.5% above 2019, and gains are tilting toward top earners.
