Chart and table of us household mean income from 1967 to 2008 in current, constant 2008 dollars and as a ratio of median, mean highest fifth and mean top 5% incomes to the mean lowest fifth income. In constant us$ the mean lowest fifth income grew from 8,220 in 1967, to 9,559 in 1981 and 11,656 in 2008. The median grew from  36,360 in 1967 to  39,621 in 1981 and  50,303 in 2008. The mean highest fifth grew from  91,554 in 1967 to  105,041 in 1981 and  171,057 in 2008. The mean top 5% grew from 144,421 in 1967 to  156,091 in 1981 and to  294,709 in 2008. The median represented a 4.4 multiple of the lowest fifth in 1967, 4.1 in 1981 and 4.3 in 2008. The highest fifth represented a 11.1 multiple of the lowest fifth in 1967, 11 in 1981 and 14.7 in 2008. The top 5% represented a 17.6 multiple of the lowest fifth in 1967, 16.3 in 1981 and 25.3 in 2008.

The chasm between high and low US household incomes is well illustrated by the number of times that high incomes are bigger than the lowest incomes.

  1. Median to lowest fifth income. If anything, the median lost some advantage. It was a 4.4 multiple of the lowest fifth in 1967, came down to 4.1 in 1981, and recovered somewhat to be 4.3 times bigger in 2008.
  2. Highest fifth to lowest fifth. Eleven fold bigger in 1967, it remained so through 1981. It became 14.7 times bigger in 2008, a quite significant increase.
  3. Top 5% to lowest fifth. Already 17.6 times bigger in 1967, the top 5% tier lost some advantage until 1981, when it was "just" 16.3 larger. The last 28 years, however, witnessed quite a remarkable widening of the gap, as the top 5% became 25.3 times bigger than the lowest fifth in 2008.

Definitely, the 1980's opened a bonanza for the lucky ones.

 

Household Income Differentials USA
(How many times are Top 5%, Highest fifth and Median¹ bigger than the Lowest fifth mean household income?)

Year

Lowest fifth

Median

Highest fifth

Top 5%

Lowest fifth

Median

Highest fifth

Top 5%

Median
÷
Lowest fifth

Highest fifth
÷
Lowest fifth

Top 5%
÷
Lowest fith

(current US$)(constant² 2008 US$)(ratios)
19671,6007,07717,82028,1108,22036,36091,554144,4214.4211.1417.57
19681,8067,68018,61628,4618,90137,85091,746140,2664.2510.3115.76
19691,9328,33520,52031,5859,07439,14596,371148,3374.3110.6216.35
19701,9928,68921,68333,2818,88738,76396,732148,4734.3610.8916.71
19712,0928,96522,58334,6388,88838,09095,949147,1684.2910.7916.56
19722,2839,62424,80538,4479,29939,200101,033156,5994.2210.8716.84
19732,53910,47126,95341,5169,79840,407104,010160,2084.1210.6216.35
19742,78311,14728,52343,3559,84639,436100,909153,3814.0110.2515.58
19752,90911,72430,07845,6449,40337,89597,219147,5314.0310.3415.69
19763,15212,69132,61949,7009,63538,79499,710151,9234.0310.3515.77
19773,33513,57935,48054,2779,58439,021101,957155,9734.0710.6416.27
19783,68514,94339,08159,4869,89540,125104,941159,7334.0610.6116.14
19794,00616,42843,26565,9849,93140,725107,253163,5744.110.816.47
19804,31017,71046,49769,4849,79240,234105,634157,8574.1110.7916.12
19814,60219,07450,56875,1449,55939,621105,041156,0914.1410.9916.33
19824,79020,17154,72982,6979,37839,490107,146161,9004.2111.4317.26
19835,05320,88557,81987,3599,51639,332108,890164,5224.1311.4417.29
19845,43622,41562,12193,7749,86740,686112,758170,2124.1211.4317.25
19855,61423,61866,353102,3549,89141,610116,899180,3254.2111.8218.23
19865,77424,89770,871111,0249,95342,914122,159191,3694.3112.2719.23
19876,13226,06174,897118,00010,27143,654125,456197,6564.2512.2119.24
19886,46527,22578,759124,21510,47044,089127,545201,1594.2112.1819.21
19896,99428,90685,529138,18510,91445,108133,468215,6384.1312.2319.76
19907,16629,94387,137138,75610,76744,990130,925208,4834.1812.1619.36
19917,22630,12688,127137,53010,48643,715127,880199,5684.1712.219.03
19927,25630,63691,110144,60810,28543,426129,145204,9774.2212.5619.93
19937,35931,241101,253173,78410,20643,326140,420241,0084.2513.7623.62
19947,71432,264105,945183,04410,47743,821143,896248,6124.1813.7323.73
19958,34534,076109,411188,82811,10345,338145,570251,2344.0813.1122.63
19968,59535,492115,514201,22011,22246,340150,820262,7214.1313.4423.41
19978,83937,005122,764215,43611,34047,477157,505276,4024.1913.8924.37
19989,22338,885127,529222,28311,70149,331161,789281,9984.2213.8324.1
19999,91540,696135,250235,07712,39650,881169,098293,9094.113.6423.71
200010,15741,990142,269252,40012,43051,386174,104308,8784.1314.0124.85
200110,13642,228145,970260,46412,13050,535174,686311,7034.1714.425.7
20029,99042,409143,743251,01011,76549,943169,279295,6034.2514.3925.13
20039,99643,318147,078253,23911,52449,939169,559291,9464.3314.7125.33
200410,24444,334151,438263,89611,48449,700169,768295,8384.3314.7825.76
200510,65546,326159,583281,15511,55950,256173,120305,0054.3514.9826.39
200611,35248,201168,170297,40511,92750,641176,681312,4574.2514.8126.2
200711,55150,233167,971287,19111,79851,306171,559293,3264.3514.5424.86
200811,65650,303171,057294,70911,65650,303171,057294,7094.3214.6825.28
Average annual growth rate5.0%4.9%5.7%5.9%0.9%0.8%1.5%1.8%-0.1%0.7%0.9%
¹ Median income values provided by US Census cover the period 1980-2008. For the period 1967-1979 we have used mean household income values for third fifth, i.e. 40%-60% interval, from the same source.
² Adjusted for inflation using the Implicit Price Deflators for GDP.

 

Sources: see US Census Bureau (Mean Household Income Received by Each Fifth and Top 5 Percent; Household by Number of Earners by Median and Mean Income), and BEA - US Bureau of Economic Analysis (Implicit Price Deflators for Gross Domestic Product 1929-2008).

 

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