Census says real median household income rose 4.0% in 2023

The U.S. Census Bureau reported Sept. 10, 2024, that real median household income rose 4.0% in 2023, the official poverty rate fell and 92.0% of the U.S. population had health insurance for all or part of the year.

What happened

Real median household income increased 4.0% between 2022 and 2023, the bureau said. It was the first statistically significant annual increase in real median household income since 2019, according to the release.

The official poverty rate declined 0.4 percentage points to 11.1% in 2023. The bureau also reported that 92.0% of the U.S. population had health insurance coverage for all or part of 2023.

Why it matters

The figures are part of the federal government’s annual snapshot of household income, poverty and health insurance coverage. The Census Bureau said the findings come from three reports: Income in the United States: 2023, Poverty in the United States: 2023 and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2023.

The same release also showed a split between the official poverty rate and the Supplemental Poverty Measure, or SPM, which uses a different method.

Key facts and figures

The Census Bureau said 26.4 million people, or 8.0% of the population, lacked health insurance at any point during 2023. The uninsured estimate was not statistically different from the previous year, according to the bureau.

The SPM rate was 12.9% in 2023, up 0.5 percentage points from 2022. The bureau said the weighted average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2023 was $30,900.

The release said all comparisons in the announcement and the related reports were tested and found statistically significant at the 90% confidence level unless otherwise noted.

Background and context

The official poverty measure is based on pretax money income and does not include tax credits, the Census Bureau said. The SPM is a post-tax and transfer measure. It also accounts for government programs, geographic differences in housing expenses, taxes, work expenses and medical expenses.

The bureau said it has published SPM poverty estimates annually since 2011 in collaboration with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

All three reports are based on the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement, known as CPS ASEC. The Current Population Survey is jointly sponsored by the Census Bureau and BLS. The CPS ASEC is conducted in February, March and April and is designed to produce annual national estimates of income, poverty and health insurance coverage for the prior calendar year.

The release also noted a decline in survey response rates. The response rate for the CPS basic household survey fell from 68.9% in March 2023 to 67.2% in March 2024. The bureau said pre-pandemic response rates were regularly above 80%.

What officials said

The Census Bureau said regional estimates are available in each respective income, poverty and health insurance report. It also said tables showing state-level poverty and SPM rates using three-year averages are available in the press kit.

For income reporting, the bureau said estimates are based on money income. It said Appendix B of the income report includes post-tax estimates and inequality metrics.

What happens next

A note on the Census Bureau page says that on July 17, 2026, BLS re-released SPM thresholds for 2019 through 2024 after coding errors were discovered. The note says the Census Bureau will publish revised SPM poverty rates using the updated thresholds before the annual poverty report in September.

Source: CensusACS5YearSurvey_AggCountry via Data CommonsSource: CensusACS5YearSurvey_AggCountry via Data Commons

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau: Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2023

Editorial note: This article was prepared with AI assistance and requires editorial review before publication.

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