National Statistics

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in the United States was $49,777 as of 2009. As of the 2000 census, there were more than 105,000,000 households in the U.S. with an average of 2.59 people per household. In 2008, 13.2 percent of the population lived below the poverty level.
  
  

Family Size

• The size and type of household has a considerable affect on the average household income. For example, the Census Bureau estimates the median income for households with families that consist of a husband, wife and at least one child earned a median income of $61,265 in 2009. Households with just the husband and wife earned a median income of $71,830.
  
  

Geography

• The average household income varies considerably by state and geographic region. Workers in the western United States earned the most overall in 2009. The Census Bureau reports median earnings of west coast employees at $53,833 as of 2009. On the east coast, the median household earnings were $53,073. Households in the Midwest earned median incomes of $48,877, and in the South households earned median incomes of $45,615 according to Census reports.
  
  

Age

• The average household income varies by age. According to Census reports, workers between 45 and 54 years of age earned the most in 2009. Median earnings for this age group were $64,235. Workers age 35 to 44 years earned median incomes of $61,083 in 2009. Young workers age 15 to 24 and elderly workers above age 65 earned the least overall. In these age groups, workers earned median incomes ranging from $30,733 to $31,354.