Census 2025: Real incomes rise and poverty fall amid mixed signals
TL;DR
Real median household income rose 2.6% in 2025 to $87,460, while the official poverty rate fell to 10.2%, according to Census Bureau data released as the Fed weighs whether to keep rates high amid inflation. The gains appear linked to an improving labor market, with poverty declines concentrated among working-age families and those with children; the data cover 2025 and do not reflect more recent inflation shifts or the effects of policy changes like SNAP adjustments slated under the new tax law.
- Americans' incomes rose and poverty fell in 2025, Census Bureau says CNBC
- Median US income rises to highest on record even as Americans feel affordability pinch CNN
- Poverty Rate Was Stable Before Trump’s Safety Net Cuts Gained Force The New York Times
- American Incomes Hit Record Last Year as Women Gained Ground WSJ
- Family income rose and poverty fell in 2025 — but safety net cuts could erase gains npr.org
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on CNBC