Table H-1. Income Limits for Each Fifth and Top 5 Percent of
All Households: 1967 to 2011
Year Lowest Second Third Fourth Top 5 percent
2011 20,262 38,520 62,434 101,582 186,000
1967 (adj) 19,931 38,866 55,164 78,663 126,232
1967 3,000 5,850 8,303 11,840 19,000
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Table H-2. Share of Aggregate Income Received by Each Fifth and
Top 5 Percent of Households, All Races: 1967 to 2011
Year Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest Top 5 percent
2011 3.2 8.4 14.3 23.0 51.1 22.3
1967 4.0 10.8 17.3 24.2 43.6 17.2
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Table H-3. Mean Household Income Received by Each Fifth and
Top 5 Percent, All Races: 1967 to 2011
Year Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest Top 5 percent
2011 11,239 29,204 49,842 80,080 178,020 311,444
1967 (adj) 10,630 29,452 47,018 65,787 118,393 186,758
1967 1,600 4,433 7,077 9,902 17,820 28,110
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Table H-6. Regions--All Races by Median and Mean Income: 1975 to 2011
Median income Mean income
Current $ 2011 $ Current $ 2011 $
2011 50,054 50,054 69,677 69,677
1975 11,800 44,851 13,779 52,373
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This data indicates to me that the bottom 3/5ths of income earners earn about what they did 45 years ago if adjusted for inflation, while the top income earners have increased. The fact that the top 20% have increased their earnings drastically does not necessarily mean to me that there's a problem.
It simply means if you can break out of the slump and make your way into the top 20% of income earners that you will be more rewarded than you were 45 years ago.
It simply means if you can break out of the slump and make your way into the top 20% of income earners that you will be more rewarded than you were 45 years ago.