Overview
- The Census Bureau reports median household income rose 2.6% to $87,460 in 2025, the highest level since the agency began tracking the series.
- The official poverty rate fell 0.5 percentage point to 10.2%, leaving 34.5 million people in poverty while the child poverty rate dropped to a record low of 13.4%.
- A broader measure, the supplemental poverty rate that counts taxes and noncash government benefits, was 13.1%, and the Census median excludes capital gains so it understates income gains for stock investors.
- Median earnings for full-time, year-round workers were essentially flat overall, though women saw a 3.2% rise in median earnings.
- Many families report being financially squeezed by high prices for housing, food and utilities, and the report is now part of partisan debates over safety-net spending and the effects of recent budget choices on vulnerable households.