Income inequality in America the highest it's been since Census started tracking it, data show

Counties in every state with the fastest-growing income Wage stagnation is plaguing the modern U.S. economy. The purchasing power of the average American hasn’t budged in decades while wage gains are increasingly going to the highest earners, according to Pew Research. Harvard Business Review points to three main criteria for wage growth in the U.S. In order for workers to get a raise, their productivity needs to increase in such a way that more is produced per hour—most commonly aided by technological advancements or new capital. That uptick in productivity should equate to sustained shares for those workers. Third, gains must be evenly distributed among the workforce and not only among the highest-paid employees. Productivity and wages in today's economy are on the rise but labor’s share of wage increases is shrinking, keeping the median wage stagnant. Several subsets of the population experience higher wage growth than the others. Within a state, certain developing areas can be ripe for investment, creating new jobs and boosting the economy while other areas may fall victim to outsourced labor and disinvestment that slows down the local flow of cash. Using data from the 2013 and 2017 versions of the American Community Survey provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, Stacker compiled a list of 50 counties—one for each state—that had the largest positive-percent change in median household income from 2013 to... less Counties in every state with the fastest-growing income Wage stagnation is plaguing the modern U.S. economy. The purchasing power of the average American hasn’t budged in decades while wage gains are ... more Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri // Wikimedia Commons Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri // Wikimedia Commons Image 1 of / 77 Caption Close Income inequality in America the highest it's been since Census started tracking it, data show 1 / 77 Back to Gallery

Last year, income inequality in the United States reached its highest level since the Census Bureau started tracking it in 1967, according to federal data released Thursday.

In the midst of the longest economic expansion the United States has ever seen, with poverty and unemployment rates at historic lows, the separation between rich and poor from 2017 and 2018 was greater than it has ever been, federal data show.

Nine states saw spikes in that divide: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia.

The gulf is starkest in wealthy coastal areas such as Washington, D.C., New York, Connecticut and California, as well as in areas with widespread poverty, such as Puerto Rico and Louisiana. Equality was highest in Utah, Alaska and Iowa.

The Gini index measures wealth distribution across a population, with zero representing total equality and 1 representing total inequality, where all wealth is concentrated in a single household. The indicator has been rising steadily during the past several decades. When the Census Bureau began studying income inequality more than 50 years ago, the Gini index was 0.397. In 2018, the Gini index rose to 0.485.

By comparison, no European country had a Gini index greater than 0.38 between 2017 and 2018.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25, and it hasn't been raised in more than a decade, in the early days of the expansion. That's one of the biggest reasons the gap between the rich and poor is widening, said Brielle Bryan, an assistant professor of sociology at Rice University.

"Inequality will go up as long as the people at the top of the tail are seeing their wealth increase," Bryan said. "A booming economy means that people who have higher income and own capital are able to see continued higher returns on that."

Recent economic gains by lower-income workers who have found jobs and benefited from minimum-wage increases in many states hasn't made up for the long-running trend of the wealthy seeing far larger income growth than middle- or lower-income earners. The number of families earning $15,000 or less has fallen since 2007, according to the latest census data, while the number of households bringing in $250,000 a year or more has grown more than 15%.

Metro areas with the least income inequality Economic inequality has been rising in the United States for decades, with the income gap becoming more of a chasm. Economists say that what drives that gap are wages that have increased rapidly for skilled workers while others' wages stagnate. Large urban areas like New York City rank among the most unequal, mainly because of a strong demand for skilled workers. At the other end are cities and regions with far less glaring inequality. These areas tend to have poor economic conditions and weak demand for workers—especially skilled workers who would be high-wage earners. Wage growth is tepid, especially among middle and low-income workers, and many of the least unequal places in the country have lost manufacturing jobs. The least unequal places are located largely in the Midwest and Great Lakes region, where demand for workers has been weakened by automation, technological change, and globalization, and in parts of Florida and the West Coast. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York looked at some 200 metropolitan areas using 2015 and 2017 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and measured inequality using what is called the 90/10 ratio. The ratio divides the income at the top, in the 90th percentile, by income at the bottom, in the 10th percentile. In the United States, the 90/10 ratios ranged from a high of 8.7 in Fairfield, Connecticut, to a low of 3.9 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, meaning a worker in Fairfield in the 90th percentile made 8.7 times the wages of a worker in the 10th percentile, but in Johnstown, a worker at the top... less Metro areas with the least income inequality Economic inequality has been rising in the United States for decades, with the income gap becoming more of a chasm. Economists say that what drives that gap are ... more Photo: Pixabay Photo: Pixabay Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Metro areas with the least income inequality 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

Though the gap between the richest and poorest expanded, the nation's median household income topped $63,000 for the first time - though after adjusting for inflation, it's roughly the same as it was 20 years ago.

The persistent rise in inequality has become a central topic in the 2020 presidential race, with candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren calling for a wealth tax. This week, Sanders announced his plan for a wealth tax as high as 8% on the ultrawealthy, which would raise $4.35 trillion over a decade, according to analysis by economists who consulted with the Warren and Sanders campaigns.

"There should be no billionaires," Sanders tweeted to announce his plan. "We are going to tax their extreme wealth and invest in working people."

Perversely, systemic inequality is actually at its starkest in the top tier. The upper reaches of the economic ladder are populated primarily by white men, Bryan said, and the private sector isn't subject to the kind of policies and public accessibility that can often shape the lower end. Women in the 95th percentile for earners make around 68 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts.

"We don't have as much sympathy for CEOs," Bryan said, "but what's happening at the top end is really symbolic of problems happening throughout the system."