Overview
- The U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, that real median household income grew 2.6% in 2025 to $87,460 and the official poverty rate fell to 10.2%, the lowest level on record.
- Child poverty reached a record low of 13.4% while the Supplemental Poverty Measure, which counts taxes and noncash benefits, stood higher at 13.1%, showing different results depending on how poverty is measured.
- Median earnings for full-time, year-round workers were essentially unchanged overall in 2025, though women saw about a 3.2% pay gain, indicating that headline household gains were uneven across groups and work patterns.
- The share of people without health insurance held near 7.9% and 34.5 million Americans were counted as living in poverty, outcomes that reporters and officials used quickly for competing political narratives.
- Analysts say the numbers matter for everyday life because rising medians do not guarantee lower costs for essentials and future poverty trends will depend on changes to safety-net programs, taxes and job growth.