Sunday, July 26, 2020

The growing Asian-White income gap

The graph below shows median household income for Asians and Whites each year from 1988-2018. It also shows the differential or gap. Asians have the highest median household income in the U.S. every year.





The gray line shows the gap which is now around $20,000 (in 2018, the last year we have data from the Census Bureau). Prior to 2005, the gap averaged about $11,000.

The table below has the numbers.


Year
WHITE ALONE
Asian
Diff
1988
58,900
66,034
7,134
1989
59,619
70,787
11,168
1990
58,359
71,848
13,489
1991
56,920
65,718
8,798
1992
56,665
66,502
9,837
1993
56,560
65,804
9,244
1994
57,198
68,047
10,849
1995
58,705
66,662
7,957
1996
59,413
69,189
9,776
1997
60,990
70,813
9,823
1998
63,170
72,010
8,840
1999
63,989
77,044
13,055
2000
64,216
81,530
17,314
2001
63,293
76,256
12,963
2002
63,107
73,660
10,553
2003
62,451
76,231
13,780
2004
62,177
76,631
14,454
2005
62,584
78,747
16,163
2006
63,264
80,200
16,936
2007
63,270
80,252
16,982
2008
61,160
76,739
15,579
2009
60,845
76,810
15,965
2010
59,682
74,167
14,485
2011
58,423
72,874
14,451
2012
58,846
75,205
16,359
2013
61,268
78,153
16,885
2014
60,376
78,883
18,507
2015
63,710
81,788
18,078
2016
64,729
85,210
20,481
2017
66,864
83,314
16,450
2018
66,943
87,194
20,251


The numbers are all in 2018 dollars. So they are adjusted for inflation.

The Census Bureau gives people the option of stating more than one race or ethnic group. Here were the categories they have with the a * in front of the ones I chose to make these calculations:

*WHITE ALONE, which began in 2002 and continued the series WHITE.

WHITE ALONE, NOT HISPANIC which began in 2002 and continued the series WHITE NOT HISPANIC

ASIAN ALONE OR IN COMBINATION which began in 2002

*ASIAN ALONE which began in 2002 and continued the series ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER.

For the data, go to Historical Income Tables: Households from the Census Bureau. Then look for "Table H-5. Race and Hispanic Origin of Householder -- Households by Median and Mean Income."

Click here if you want to go straight to the Excel file.

For a couple of years, two different income levels are given. I used my best judgement as to which to include and which to leave out. This link has explanatory footnotes.

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