The share of Americans in the middle- or upper-income tier rises sharply with education and employment

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May 23, 2024

The State of the American Middle Class

The share of Americans in the middle- or upper-income tier rises sharply with education and employment

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The share of Americans in the middle- or upper-income tier rises sharply with education and employment

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The State of the American Middle Class
Share of Americans in the middle class has fallen since 1971
Incomes of upper-income U.S. households increased the most of any income tier from 1970 to 2022
Share of total U.S. household income held by the middle class has plunged since 1970
Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native people are more likely than others to live in lower-income U.S. households
Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. children lived in lower-income households in 2022, about half in the middle class
Men, veterans and married Americans were more likely than their counterparts to live in middle- or upper-income households in 2022
Immigrants were more likely than the U.S. born to be lower income in 2022; people born in Asia, Europe or Oceania were most likely to be upper income
Americans of South Asian origin are the most likely to be upper income; Hispanic origins are the least likely
The share of Americans in the middle- or upper-income tier rises sharply with education and employment
More than a third of U.S. workers in technology, management, and business and finance occupations were in the upper-income tier in 2022
About a third of U.S. workers in the information, financial and professional services sectors were in the upper-income tier in 2022
The 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest shares of residents in the middle class in 2022
The 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest shares of residents in the upper-income tier in 2022
The 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest shares of residents in the lower-income tier in 2022

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The State of the American Middle Class

The share of Americans in the middle- or upper-income tier rises sharply with education and employment

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