<P> The residents of the household do not have to be related to the head of the household for their earnings to be considered part of the household's income . As households tend to share a similar economic context, the use of household income remains among the most widely accepted measures of income . That the size of a household is not commonly taken into account in such measures may distort any analysis of fluctuations within or among the household income categories, and may render direct comparisons between quintiles difficult or even impossible . </P> <P> The U.S. Census Bureau reported in September 2017 that real median household income was $59,039 in 2016, exceeding any previous year . This was the fourth consecutive year with a statistically significant increase by their measure . </P> <P> Changes in median income reflect several trends: the aging of the population, changing patterns in work and schooling, and the evolving makeup of the American family, as well as long - and short - term trends in the economy itself . For instance, the retirement of the Baby Boom generation should push down overall median income, as more persons enter lower - income retirement . However, analysis of different working age groups indicate a similar pattern of stagnating median income as well . </P> <P> Journalist Annie Lowrey wrote in September 2014: "The root causes (of wage stagnation) include technological change, the decline of labor unions, and globalization, economists think, though they disagree sharply on how much to weight each factor . But foreign - produced goods became sharply cheaper, meaning imports climbed and production moved overseas . And computers took over for humans in many manufacturing, clerical, and administrative tasks, eroding middle - class jobs growth and suppressing wages ." </P>

What are the income levels in the us