What were things like in 2002?
The following idicator summary is from the 2002 Minnesota Milestones and does not neccessarily reflect the current data trends.Indicator : Median family income compared to U.S. median
Rationale: Comparing Minnesota's median income to the nation's median income provides some indication of how Minnesota families are faring compared to the rest of the nation.
About this indicator: Minnesota's median family income outpaced the nation's median family income throughout the 1990s, but especially between 1997 and 2000. In those years, Minnesota's median family income was between 111 and 121 percent of the nation's. This is strong improvement since 1990, when Minnesota's median family income was only 105 percent of the national figure.
The median is the income level that divides the population in half – half of all families earn below and half earn above the median amount. This indicator provides some evidence that Minnesota's economy has performed better than the nation's economy during the 1990s. As a result Minnesota's families have benefited more than the nation's families.
Income data by race and ethnicity is expected in late summer 2002.
For comparison: The national median family income in 2000 was $50,046 compared to $56,874 in Minnesota, ranking eigth-highest in the nation. Connecticut ranked first at $65,521 and West Virginia ranked last at $36,484.
Things to think about: The median does not tell how Minnesotans on the very low and very high ends of the income scale are doing. The income difference between the richest households and poorest households in Minnesota should have further analysis.
Technical notes: Data between census years, 1991 to 1999, relates to a family of four (people related by birth, marriage or adoption living together), while the data for census years includes all family sizes. Data in census years 1980, 1990 and 2000 was collected in 1979, 1989 and 1999 respectively. The 1980 and 1990 data was adjusted to 1989 CPI-U-X1 dollars. Census 2000 data has not been adjusted.
Sources:U.S. Bureau of the Census, Decennial Census, 1980, 1990 and 2000 www.census.gov
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1991-99 data, www.census.gov/hhes/income/4person.html
Related 2002 Milestones indicator:
Other related indicators:
- Average weekly wage (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/data)
- Annual change in per capita income (U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, www.bea.doc.gov)