MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

The 'median household income' is commonly used to provide data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more.^[1] The median income is considered by many statisticians to be a better indicator than the average household income as it is not dramatically affected by unusually high or low values."^[2]
Household income is not to be confused with family or personal income. Household income is often the combination of two income earners pooling the resources and should therefore not be confused with an individual's earnings. Even though the term family income may sometimes be used as a synonym for household income, the US Census Bureau defines the two differently. While household income takes all households into account, family income only takes households with two or more persons related through blood, marriage or adoption into account.

Contents

International statistics

See also

References

Related Links

International statistics

Median household income for other countries is shown in the table below. The data for each country has been converted to US dollars using Purchasing Power Parity (obtained from the OECD).^[3]

See also

★ Household income in the United States

★ Income quintiles

★ Poverty in the United States

★ Income distribution

★ Median

References

1. US Government, the different between =2006-06-29
2. US Census Bureau on the nature the median in determining wealth
3. OECD, PPP conversion rates

Related Links

★ Mean and Medium "All Family" Income 1947 to 2001, in Current and Constant 2002 Dollars (Census Bureau Data)

★ "Median Income Statistics"