Median Household Income Falls in August

Median household income fell 1.1 percent between July and August 2012 after adjusting for inflation, according to the latest monthly update from Sentier Research. The August median of $50,678 was $543 less than the July median. This was a statistically significant decline and the first significant change in the median since an 0.7 percent increase in May.

Median household income in August 2012 was 5.7 percent lower than median household income in June 2009--the end of the Great Recession. It was 8.1 percent lower than the median in December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. It was 9.0 percent lower than the median in January 2000. The Household Income Index for August 2012 was 91.0 (January 2000 = 100.0). 

For those who would like the entire household income series with monthly data from January 2000 through August 2012, the Excel file is available from Sentier's web site for $25. The series includes median household income, the Household Income Index, and various unemployment indicators.

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Down by 1.1 Percent between July 2012 and August 2012