Record 2025 incomes mask widening gap for the lowest earners
U.S. Census data for 2025 show real median household income rising to $87,460 (up 2.6%) and after-tax income up 3.1%, with the official poverty rate at 10.2% and child poverty at 13.4%. But gains were uneven: the bottom 10% saw little improvement while the top 10% gained, the top 20% captured about 52% of total income and the bottom 20% just 3%. Hispanics saw poverty fall to a record low, yet uninsured rates remain high (21.8% of Hispanic adults 19–64), highlighting persistent economic and health-security gaps despite strong topline numbers.