Census Data Shows Higher Incomes, Slightly Lower Poverty In 2025

Posted by Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity on September 22, 2026

U.S. households saw meaningful gains in income in 2025, while the nation’s official poverty rate declined slightly, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Real median household income reached $87,460 last year, a 2.6% increase from 2024 and the highest level recorded since the Census Bureau began collecting the series in 1967. At the same time, the official poverty rate fell by half a percentage point, to 10.2%, with 34.5 million Americans living below the federal poverty threshold. The Supplemental Poverty Measure, or SPM, which accounts for government benefits such as nutrition assistance and refundable tax credits while also subtracting taxes and expenses such as child care, work-related costs and medical expenses, stood at 13.1% in 2025. That was not statistically different from 2024.

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