US Real Household Income Rises 2.6% to $87,460 as 2025 Poverty Falls to 10.2%
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Sep 15
US Real Household Income Rises 2.6% to $87,460 as 2025 Poverty Falls to 10.2%
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Sep 15
Summary
$87,460 was the median U.S. household income in 2025 after inflation, up 2.6% from a year earlier, while the poverty rate fell nearly half a point to 10.2%, Census Bureau data showed.
An improving labor market appears to have driven the gains, with poverty declines concentrated among families with children and working-age households rather than retirees.
The release lands just before the Federal Reserve's rate decision, with inflation still running at 3.4% in August and the average new 30-year mortgage rate back above 7% last week.
The data cover 2025 and do not reflect economic shifts since the Iran war began, while a separate poverty measure that includes safety-net benefits was unchanged.
That broader measure could face pressure as Republicans' 2025 tax-and-policy law tightens aid eligibility; the CBO projects SNAP spending will drop by $211 billion through 2035.