Census Bureau Reports a Widening of the Racial Income and Poverty Gaps

In 2011, the average Black household in the United States had a median income of $32,229. This was only 58 percent of the median income of non-Hispanic White households, which stood at $55,412. The median Black household income dropped by 2.7 percent from 2010 to 2011. For non-Hispanic Whites, the median income declined by 1.4 percent.

The new Census report also found that  27.6 percent of all Blacks lived below the official poverty threshold. This was nearly three times the rate for non-Hispanic Whites. The percentage of all Blacks living in poverty increased slightly in 2011 compared to a year earlier, whereas the percentage of all non-Hispanic Whites living in poverty declined slightly.

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