Money income and poverty status of families and persons in the United States: 1985 (advance data from the March 1986 Current Population Survey).

PIP: Income and poverty data in this 1985 report are the first estimates based entirely on households selected from the 1980 census-based sample design. Highlights of the report follow. 1) In 1985, median family income was $27,740, 4.9% higher than the 1984 median of $26,430, and 1.3% higher after adjusting for inflation. White and black families posted gains in real median income. White families' median income was $29,150, 1.7% higher than 1984; black families' median reached $16,790, 5% higher than in 1984. 2) The earnings of women rose to $15,620, a 2.1% increase from 1984. The median earnings of men, $24,200, showed no significant change from 1984. 3) In 1985, real per capita money income was $11,010, up 2.1% from the previous year. Whites' per capita income in 1985 was up 2% to $11,670; for Blacks it was $6,840, up 4.9%, and for Hispanics it was $6,610, unchanged from 1984. 4) The number of persons below the poverty level was 33.1 million in 1985, not significantly different from 1984. 14% of persons were in poverty in 1985, down from 14.4% in 1984. 5) There were no statistically significant changes in either the number or percentage of Whites in poverty. In 1985, 22.9 million Whites were in poverty and their poverty rate was 11.4%. Both the number of Blacks in poverty rate declined between 1984 and 1985. The number declined from 9.5 million to 8.9 million, and the rate declined from 33.8% to 31.3%. The number of Hispanics in poverty increased from 4.8 million to 5.2 million. Their poverty rate was 29% in 1985, not a significant change from 1984.^ieng

Money income and poverty status of families and persons in the United States: 1984 (advance data from the March 1985 Current Population Survey).

PIP: Estimates in this report are based on a sample that includes households from both the 1970 census-based sample design and the new 1980 census-based design. Estimates in this report for 1983 and 1984 reflect the introduction of new survey weighting procedures for the Spanish-origin population. Some highlights of the data follow. 1) For the 2nd year in a row, median family income increased faster than inflation according to results of the March 1985 Current Population Survey conducted by the US Bureau of the Census. 2) In 1984, median family income was $26,430, 7.7% higher than the 1983 median of $24,550. After adjusting for the 4.3% increase in consumer prices between 1983 and 1984, real median family income still shows a significant gain of 3.3%. Not since 1972 has family income increased at a faster rate. 3) There was a significant decline in the poverty population, reversing a trend of increases in poverty experienced in recent years. Between 1983 and 1984, the poverty population fell from 35.5 million to 33.7 million. The poverty rate in 1984 was 14.4%, significantly lower than the 1983 rate of 15.3%. The poverty threshold for a family of 4 in 1984 was $10,609.^ieng