---
title: "Trends in Income and Wealth Inequality"
description: "Most Americans say there’s too much economic inequality in the United States these days. To understand how people’s financial circumstances have changed in recent decades, we looked at trends in income and wealth for lower-, middle- and upper-income households since 2000. Income and wealth have grown for each group. But the gains have been greatest […]"
date: "2026-10-14"
authors:
  - name: "Juliana Menasce Horowitz"
    job_title: "Senior Associate Director, Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/juliana-menasce-horowitz/"
  - name: "Richard Fry"
    job_title: "Senior Researcher"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/richard-fry/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2026/10/14/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality-2026/"
categories:
  - "Economic Policy"
  - "Economic Systems"
  - "Economy & Work"
---

# Trends in Income and Wealth Inequality

**About this research**

This Pew Research Center report looks at Americans’ views of economic inequality, including what factors they think contribute to it and who they believe should be responsible for reducing inequality. It also explores trends in income and wealth inequality.

#### Why did we do this?

Pew Research Center does research to help the public, the media and decision-makers understand important topics. This analysis builds on our previous work on [economic issues](https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/economy-work/).

Learn more [about Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/about/).

#### How did we do this?

The analysis of Americans’ views of economic inequality is based primarily on a Pew Research Center survey of 5,166 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 24-30, 2026. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center’s [American Trends Panel](https://www.pewresearch.org/the-american-trends-panel/). The survey is designed to represent the views of all U.S. adults.

Here are the [survey questions](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/10/ST_2026.10.13_economic-attitudes_questionnaire.pdf) used for this report, the [detailed responses](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/10/ST_2026.10.13_economic-attitudes_topline.pdf) and the [survey methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2026/10/14/economic-attitudes-methodology/).

In addition to survey data, the report also examines the trends in the typical income and wealth of lower-, middle- and upper-income households using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other standard government sources.

Most Americans say there’s too much economic inequality in the United States these days. To understand how people’s financial circumstances have changed in recent decades, we looked at trends in income and wealth for lower-, middle- and upper-income households since 2000.

### The typical income of lower-, middle- and upper-income households has increased since 2001

*Median U.S. household income, by income tier (2024 dollars)*

| Year | Lower income | Middle income | Upper income |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2001 | 33 | 95 | 223 |
| 2002 | 32 | 94 | 218 |
| 2003 | 32 | 95 | 218 |
| 2004 | 32 | 94 | 217 |
| 2005 | 32 | 95 | 223 |
| 2006 | 33 | 96 | 225 |
| 2007 | 33 | 98 | 229 |
| 2008 | 32 | 95 | 221 |
| 2009 | 32 | 94 | 219 |
| 2010 | 31 | 93 | 217 |
| 2011 | 31 | 91 | 215 |
| 2012 | 31 | 93 | 216 |
| 2013 | 31 | 93 | 218 |
| 2014 | 31 | 94 | 225 |
| 2015 | 33 | 100 | 235 |
| 2016 | 34 | 103 | 245 |
| 2017 | 34 | 105 | 249 |
| 2018 | 35 | 107 | 255 |
| 2019 | 37 | 110 | 264 |
| 2020 | 36 | 108 | 263 |
| 2021 | 37 | 110 | 270 |
| 2022 | 36 | 109 | 263 |
| 2023 | 38 | 113 | 275 |
| 2024 | 38 | 116 | 279 |

Note: Households are assigned to income tiers based on their size-adjusted income, scaled to reflect a three-person household. Revisions to the Current Population Survey affect the comparability of data from 2014 onward. Refer to the methodology for details.

Source: Pew Research Center analysis of the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplements (IPUMS)."Americans' Views of Economic Inequality, Its Causes and Who Should Fix It"

Income and wealth have grown for each group. But the gains have been greatest for upper-income households, leading to increased economic inequality.

The median income for upper-income households increased 25% between 2001 and 2024 (from $222,800 to $278,800). Incomes for middle- and lower-income households grew less over that period – 22% and 17%, respectively. (All income figures have been adjusted for inflation.)

One way to measure income inequality is to look at the gap between upper- and lower-income households. In 2024, upper-income households had 7.3 times the typical income of lower-income households. The ratio was 6.8 in 2001.

*Read about [Americans’ views of economic inequality](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2026/10/14/americans-views-of-economic-inequality-its-causes-and-who-should-fix-it/), including the factors they think contribute to it and who should be responsible for reducing it.*

**How we define income tiers**

“Middle-income” households have an annual household income that is two-thirds to double the national median, after incomes have been adjusted for household size. Lower-income households have incomes less than two-thirds of the median, and upper-income households have incomes that are more than double the median. In 2024, a family of three would be “middle income” with an income between $66,700 and $200,000.

### Income inequality varies across metropolitan areas

The income gap between upper- and lower-income households varies across the U.S. We analyzed 204 metropolitan areas and found the upper-to-lower income ratio ranged from 5.7 to 9.7, as of 2024.

### Household income inequality varies across metro areas

*Ratio of the 2024 median income of upper-income households to the median income of lower-income households*

| Metro area | CBSA | Lower income | Middle income | Upper income | Upper-to-lower income ratio |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Akron, OH | 10420 | $35,431 | $110,184 | $249,225 | 7.0 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 10580 | $33,922 | $118,514 | $243,544 | 7.2 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 10740 | $36,256 | $110,073 | $262,855 | 7.2 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 10900 | $36,012 | $112,793 | $246,253 | 6.8 |
| Amarillo, TX | 11100 | $34,947 | $105,374 | $260,317 | 7.4 |
| Anchorage, AK | 11260 | $37,460 | $111,531 | $254,698 | 6.8 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 11460 | $30,352 | $116,550 | $263,551 | 8.7 |
| Asheville, NC | 11700 | $37,438 | $106,603 | $267,777 | 7.2 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 12060 | $36,721 | $113,223 | $270,563 | 7.4 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 12100 | $36,794 | $110,324 | $253,356 | 6.9 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 12260 | $37,693 | $105,729 | $246,540 | 6.5 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 12420 | $37,467 | $115,311 | $273,285 | 7.3 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 12540 | $34,079 | $104,403 | $250,183 | 7.3 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 12580 | $34,811 | $116,037 | $257,873 | 7.4 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 12700 | $37,358 | $116,232 | $260,641 | 7.0 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 12940 | $32,054 | $110,156 | $248,035 | 7.7 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 13140 | $32,700 | $110,969 | $249,992 | 7.6 |
| Bellingham, WA | 13380 | $36,505 | $112,952 | $256,010 | 7.0 |
| Bend, OR | 13460 | $40,624 | $112,300 | $283,706 | 7.0 |
| Birmingham, AL | 13820 | $34,590 | $111,323 | $267,283 | 7.7 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 13980 | $35,163 | $108,358 | $264,265 | 7.5 |
| Bloomington, IL | 14010 | $31,479 | $111,104 | $248,780 | 7.9 |
| Boise City, ID | 14260 | $40,331 | $109,416 | $263,337 | 6.5 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 14460 | $32,796 | $119,826 | $272,477 | 8.3 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 14740 | $34,328 | $114,806 | $253,863 | 7.4 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 14860 | $38,309 | $115,385 | $307,952 | 8.0 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 15180 | $31,340 | $106,555 | $256,416 | 8.2 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 15380 | $34,758 | $111,535 | $249,442 | 7.2 |
| Burlington, NC | 15500 | $38,285 | $105,935 | $262,832 | 6.9 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | 15940 | $41,245 | $108,101 | $234,993 | 5.7 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 15980 | $37,574 | $107,799 | $276,662 | 7.4 |
| Charleston, WV | 16620 | $35,893 | $111,591 | $254,566 | 7.1 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 16700 | $36,578 | $109,795 | $257,332 | 7.0 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 16740 | $36,981 | $110,714 | $269,236 | 7.3 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 16820 | $39,118 | $117,353 | $262,045 | 6.7 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 16860 | $34,087 | $113,487 | $251,741 | 7.4 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 16980 | $33,496 | $112,522 | $269,318 | 8.0 |
| Chico, CA | 17020 | $37,586 | $108,560 | $246,772 | 6.6 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 17140 | $35,958 | $110,442 | $259,409 | 7.2 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 17300 | $35,233 | $107,733 | $235,665 | 6.7 |
| Cleveland, OH | 17410 | $35,463 | $108,231 | $259,494 | 7.3 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 17780 | $30,605 | $109,502 | $276,135 | 9.0 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 17820 | $39,768 | $110,073 | $256,900 | 6.5 |
| Columbia, SC | 17900 | $36,430 | $108,921 | $249,087 | 6.8 |
| Columbus, OH | 18140 | $36,285 | $115,202 | $257,857 | 7.1 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 18580 | $36,820 | $101,434 | $256,244 | 7.0 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 18880 | $35,701 | $111,209 | $266,707 | 7.5 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 19100 | $36,963 | $110,487 | $263,744 | 7.1 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 19300 | $36,218 | $110,941 | $246,939 | 6.8 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 19430 | $36,437 | $110,987 | $241,871 | 6.6 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 19660 | $37,476 | $107,200 | $254,398 | 6.8 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 19740 | $35,367 | $116,980 | $262,126 | 7.4 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 19780 | $41,439 | $118,865 | $241,001 | 5.8 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 19820 | $34,365 | $109,673 | $259,036 | 7.5 |
| Dothan, AL | 20020 | $34,186 | $109,570 | $246,313 | 7.2 |
| El Paso, TX | 21340 | $34,054 | $105,951 | $244,684 | 7.2 |
| Erie, PA | 21500 | $35,612 | $107,599 | $264,019 | 7.4 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | 21660 | $35,129 | $107,802 | $251,704 | 7.2 |
| Evansville, IN | 21780 | $38,604 | $104,373 | $267,622 | 6.9 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 22180 | $37,897 | $107,191 | $252,337 | 6.7 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 22220 | $37,920 | $109,381 | $269,232 | 7.1 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 22380 | $37,360 | $108,161 | $287,970 | 7.7 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 22660 | $36,824 | $112,728 | $275,055 | 7.5 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 23060 | $37,309 | $102,084 | $254,460 | 6.8 |
| Fresno, CA | 23420 | $31,846 | $107,676 | $254,161 | 8.0 |
| Gainesville, GA | 23580 | $39,869 | $109,481 | $286,390 | 7.2 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 24020 | $37,429 | $106,919 | $270,986 | 7.2 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 24340 | $37,930 | $108,956 | $259,669 | 6.8 |
| Greeley, CO | 24540 | $36,678 | $114,633 | $244,519 | 6.7 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 24660 | $37,983 | $107,362 | $269,044 | 7.1 |
| Greenville, NC | 24780 | $36,287 | $112,220 | $252,425 | 7.0 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 24860 | $36,457 | $109,372 | $250,832 | 6.9 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 25420 | $37,924 | $112,368 | $266,599 | 7.0 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 25540 | $35,232 | $116,486 | $256,235 | 7.3 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 25860 | $37,191 | $105,701 | $257,402 | 6.9 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 26420 | $34,371 | $110,515 | $268,687 | 7.8 |
| Huntsville, AL | 26620 | $33,630 | $111,659 | $255,287 | 7.6 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 26900 | $38,009 | $110,407 | $261,085 | 6.9 |
| Iowa City, IA | 26980 | $24,606 | $115,101 | $239,321 | 9.7 |
| Jackson, MS | 27140 | $35,011 | $108,930 | $250,594 | 7.2 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 27260 | $36,933 | $110,563 | $271,334 | 7.3 |
| Johnson City, TN | 27740 | $39,731 | $98,887 | $236,382 | 5.9 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 28020 | $34,867 | $109,577 | $260,246 | 7.5 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 28140 | $37,820 | $112,445 | $264,526 | 7.0 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 28880 | $35,002 | $110,804 | $248,579 | 7.1 |
| Knoxville, TN | 28940 | $37,422 | $108,888 | $254,822 | 6.8 |
| Lafayette, LA | 29180 | $32,771 | $105,697 | $257,886 | 7.9 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 29420 | $39,437 | $99,439 | $244,694 | 6.2 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 29460 | $38,580 | $101,399 | $242,450 | 6.3 |
| Lancaster, PA | 29540 | $42,307 | $109,973 | $261,011 | 6.2 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 29620 | $36,468 | $107,014 | $241,749 | 6.6 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 29740 | $34,620 | $105,599 | $255,172 | 7.4 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 29820 | $37,332 | $108,107 | $256,449 | 6.9 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 30500 | $37,644 | $124,627 | $255,269 | 6.8 |
| Lincoln, NE | 30700 | $39,245 | $111,585 | $242,058 | 6.2 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 30780 | $35,222 | $111,566 | $243,951 | 6.9 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 31080 | $33,647 | $110,068 | $269,611 | 8.0 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 31140 | $36,187 | $109,613 | $263,177 | 7.3 |
| Lubbock, TX | 31180 | $36,038 | $109,979 | $255,231 | 7.1 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 31340 | $36,826 | $109,642 | $234,137 | 6.4 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 32580 | $33,650 | $105,943 | $253,216 | 7.5 |
| Medford, OR | 32780 | $38,183 | $108,670 | $262,968 | 6.9 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 32820 | $33,615 | $109,922 | $268,946 | 8.0 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 33100 | $35,040 | $103,175 | $280,321 | 8.0 |
| Midland, TX | 33260 | $37,167 | $115,080 | $288,398 | 7.8 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 33340 | $37,701 | $113,836 | $257,899 | 6.8 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 33460 | $38,005 | $114,592 | $251,987 | 6.6 |
| Mobile, AL | 33660 | $33,423 | $106,907 | $245,756 | 7.4 |
| Modesto, CA | 33700 | $37,053 | $103,420 | $242,056 | 6.5 |
| Montgomery, AL | 33860 | $33,868 | $109,525 | $270,809 | 8.0 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 34580 | $38,803 | $117,334 | $245,795 | 6.3 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 34820 | $34,773 | $107,280 | $249,809 | 7.2 |
| Napa, CA | 34900 | $35,786 | $119,054 | $276,995 | 7.7 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | 34940 | $37,259 | $112,449 | $313,850 | 8.4 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 34980 | $36,868 | $111,469 | $263,945 | 7.2 |
| New Haven, CT | 35300 | $33,137 | $115,957 | $266,835 | 8.1 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 35380 | $31,744 | $108,458 | $271,410 | 8.5 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 35620 | $30,967 | $113,867 | $277,453 | 9.0 |
| Niles, MI | 35660 | $34,823 | $107,394 | $256,829 | 7.4 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 35840 | $40,588 | $110,333 | $269,487 | 6.6 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 35980 | $38,971 | $118,637 | $265,629 | 6.8 |
| Ocala, FL | 36100 | $38,851 | $101,597 | $252,804 | 6.5 |
| Ogden, UT | 36260 | $39,267 | $112,192 | $257,800 | 6.6 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 36420 | $35,222 | $108,375 | $250,617 | 7.1 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 36500 | $37,214 | $116,951 | $241,594 | 6.5 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 36540 | $38,377 | $114,331 | $252,648 | 6.6 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 36740 | $37,919 | $105,886 | $254,393 | 6.7 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 37100 | $35,257 | $117,524 | $265,926 | 7.5 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 37340 | $38,968 | $107,382 | $261,987 | 6.7 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | 37460 | $39,467 | $103,496 | $255,679 | 6.5 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 37860 | $36,702 | $107,237 | $254,758 | 6.9 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 37980 | $33,609 | $112,904 | $262,734 | 7.8 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 38060 | $38,559 | $109,096 | $256,495 | 6.7 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 38300 | $35,127 | $112,551 | $263,455 | 7.5 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 38340 | $34,770 | $118,377 | $258,607 | 7.4 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 38860 | $37,920 | $113,884 | $266,934 | 7.0 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 38900 | $35,488 | $115,009 | $254,543 | 7.2 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 38940 | $39,747 | $108,871 | $261,991 | 6.6 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 39150 | $36,148 | $105,703 | $265,303 | 7.3 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 39300 | $34,038 | $111,473 | $265,625 | 7.8 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 39340 | $39,897 | $112,406 | $249,358 | 6.3 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 39460 | $37,045 | $109,411 | $275,347 | 7.4 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 39580 | $35,657 | $115,403 | $265,238 | 7.4 |
| Reading, PA | 39740 | $38,636 | $112,246 | $248,709 | 6.4 |
| Redding, CA | 39820 | $37,330 | $103,091 | $239,119 | 6.4 |
| Reno, NV | 39900 | $38,313 | $112,996 | $271,774 | 7.1 |
| Richmond, VA | 40060 | $36,284 | $112,393 | $260,582 | 7.2 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 40140 | $36,820 | $108,322 | $250,593 | 6.8 |
| Roanoke, VA | 40220 | $37,010 | $109,897 | $255,293 | 6.9 |
| Rochester, NY | 40380 | $34,450 | $112,453 | $249,152 | 7.2 |
| Rockford, IL | 40420 | $38,342 | $106,720 | $246,217 | 6.4 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 40900 | $34,856 | $113,662 | $258,176 | 7.4 |
| Saginaw, MI | 40980 | $35,439 | $105,165 | $245,349 | 6.9 |
| St. Cloud, MN | 41060 | $35,577 | $114,637 | $227,298 | 6.4 |
| St. George, UT | 41100 | $44,493 | $111,898 | $271,011 | 6.1 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 41180 | $35,420 | $110,511 | $257,656 | 7.3 |
| Salem, OR | 41420 | $38,100 | $109,419 | $244,575 | 6.4 |
| Salinas, CA | 41500 | $35,518 | $109,601 | $258,333 | 7.3 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 41620 | $41,211 | $112,118 | $253,279 | 6.1 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 41700 | $36,574 | $109,721 | $255,832 | 7.0 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 41740 | $35,466 | $114,936 | $267,089 | 7.5 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 41860 | $31,780 | $118,204 | $299,690 | 9.4 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 41940 | $34,822 | $119,088 | $327,196 | 9.4 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 42020 | $34,398 | $114,836 | $257,836 | 7.5 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 42100 | $31,522 | $107,489 | $268,436 | 8.5 |
| Santa Fe, NM | 42140 | $29,462 | $112,843 | $280,248 | 9.5 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 42200 | $32,170 | $110,432 | $287,230 | 8.9 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 42220 | $35,907 | $113,630 | $265,893 | 7.4 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 42540 | $35,546 | $104,728 | $247,421 | 7.0 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 42660 | $35,067 | $116,890 | $280,745 | 8.0 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | 42680 | $40,184 | $109,134 | $304,978 | 7.6 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | 43640 | $35,491 | $113,943 | $268,510 | 7.6 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 43900 | $40,519 | $108,430 | $242,122 | 6.0 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 44060 | $37,974 | $108,871 | $264,086 | 7.0 |
| Springfield, IL | 44100 | $32,869 | $112,052 | $250,148 | 7.6 |
| Springfield, MA | 44140 | $31,874 | $111,151 | $245,294 | 7.7 |
| Springfield, MO | 44180 | $39,105 | $105,769 | $270,015 | 6.9 |
| State College, PA | 44300 | $42,692 | $112,903 | $268,502 | 6.3 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 44700 | $35,399 | $107,813 | $241,700 | 6.8 |
| Syracuse, NY | 45060 | $33,287 | $109,545 | $255,080 | 7.7 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 45300 | $38,239 | $108,672 | $261,808 | 6.8 |
| Toledo, OH | 45780 | $34,090 | $109,845 | $248,953 | 7.3 |
| Topeka, KS | 45820 | $39,001 | $110,313 | $241,309 | 6.2 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 45940 | $36,427 | $116,682 | $285,147 | 7.8 |
| Tucson, AZ | 46060 | $36,276 | $106,806 | $261,644 | 7.2 |
| Tulsa, OK | 46140 | $36,380 | $106,393 | $254,520 | 7.0 |
| Tyler, TX | 46340 | $37,590 | $104,326 | $262,077 | 7.0 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 46520 | $38,302 | $113,824 | $256,847 | 6.7 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 46540 | $31,771 | $111,245 | $253,729 | 8.0 |
| Vallejo, CA | 46700 | $35,765 | $110,490 | $254,029 | 7.1 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 47260 | $37,190 | $113,151 | $248,415 | 6.7 |
| Visalia, CA | 47300 | $34,702 | $102,179 | $250,026 | 7.2 |
| Waco, TX | 47380 | $33,083 | $98,325 | $269,908 | 8.2 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 47900 | $32,236 | $120,736 | $270,424 | 8.4 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | 47930 | $32,288 | $120,169 | $239,480 | 7.4 |
| Wausau, WI | 48140 | $42,997 | $104,688 | $280,623 | 6.5 |
| Wichita, KS | 48620 | $37,194 | $109,055 | $263,178 | 7.1 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | 48680 | $38,865 | $117,422 | $276,709 | 7.1 |
| Wilmington, NC | 48900 | $36,327 | $109,254 | $250,228 | 6.9 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 49180 | $35,261 | $105,380 | $245,949 | 7.0 |
| Worcester, MA | 49340 | $37,065 | $114,981 | $251,725 | 6.8 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 49620 | $38,528 | $114,820 | $240,625 | 6.2 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | 49660 | $32,364 | $106,359 | $257,035 | 7.9 |
| Yuma, AZ | 49740 | $34,190 | $96,406 | $251,498 | 7.4 |

Note: Households are assigned to income tiers based on their size-adjusted income and local cost of living.

Source: Pew Research Center analysis of the 2024 American Community Survey (IPUMS)."Americans' Views of Economic Inequality, Its Causes and Who Should Fix It"

The metro areas with the most income inequality are concentrated on the East and West coasts. However, the area with the highest upper-to-lower income ratio is in the middle of the country: In Iowa City, Iowa, upper-income households had 9.7 times the median income of lower-income households in 2024 ($239,300 vs. $24,600).

The metro area with the lowest level of income inequality was Canton-Massillon, Ohio. The median income of upper-income households there was 5.7 times higher than that of lower-income households ($235,000 vs. $41,200).

### Wealth inequality is up sharply from 2001

Wealth is spread much less evenly across U.S. households than income, and the gap in wealth between upper- and lower-income households has grown wider between 2001 and 2022.

### In 2022, the median wealth of upper-income households was 49 times higher than that of lower-income households

*Median U.S. household wealth, by income tier (2024 dollars)*

| Year | Lower income | Middle income | Upper income |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2001 | 0.03 | 0.18 | 0.8 |
| 2004 | 0.02 | 0.19 | 0.93 |
| 2007 | 0.02 | 0.22 | 0.97 |
| 2010 | 0.01 | 0.13 | 0.81 |
| 2013 | 0.01 | 0.13 | 0.87 |
| 2016 | 0.01 | 0.15 | 1.07 |
| 2019 | 0.02 | 0.17 | 0.99 |
| 2022 | 0.03 | 0.23 | 1.39 |

Note: Wealth values are shown for years 2001 and 2022. Wealth is a household’s total assets minus its total debts. Households are assigned to income tiers based on their size-adjusted income.

Source: Pew Research Center analysis of the Survey of Consumer Finances."Americans' Views of Economic Inequality, Its Causes and Who Should Fix It"

Over that period, median wealth increased for middle- and upper-income households and remained mostly flat for lower-income households.

Upper-income households saw the largest gains, with wealth increasing 73% (from $800,600 to $1,386,900).

Wealth increased 25% for middle-income households and only 8% for lower-income households.

All told, upper-income households owned about 49 times the median wealth of lower-income households in 2022. That gap has increased from 31 times in 2001.

As the [Federal Reserve](https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/october-2023-changes-in-us-family-finances-from-2019-to-2022.htm) and [others](https://www.nber.org/papers/w34131) have reported, while the wealth gap has widened significantly across households since 2001, it was even higher in 2016 than it was in 2022.

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**Next:** [Acknowledgments](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2026/10/14/economic-attitudes-acknowledgments.md)