Americans made real economic gains in 2025.
New Census Bureau data show inflation-adjusted median household income rose 2.6% to a record $87,460, while the official poverty rate fell half a percentage point to 10.2% — its lowest level on record.
That means the typical household’s income didn’t just rise in dollar terms. It rose after accounting for inflation. The Census Bureau says median household income climbed from $85,210 in 2024 to $87,460 last year.
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Post-tax household income rose even faster, increasing 3.1% to $76,060.
Poverty moved the other direction.
About 34.5 million Americans were officially classified as living in poverty in 2025, with the rate falling to 10.2%.
The weighted-average poverty threshold for a family of four was $32,970.
Children also saw improvement, with the official child poverty rate falling to a historic low of 13.4%.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent seized on the report during congressional testimony, calling the numbers “several inconvenient facts” for critics of the Trump administration.
Americans’ incomes rose and poverty fell in 2025, Census Bureau says https://t.co/6x8h6XQySV
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 16, 2026
