The Racial Income Gap Narrows But Remains Huge

The U.S. Census Bureau has released its annual report on income in the United States.

According to data in the report, the median income of Black households in the United States in 2025 was $59,980 up from $56,020 in 2024. The median income figure shows the point where half of all families earn below this level and half earn above this level.

For non-Hispanic White households in 2025, the median income figure was $96,710 up from $92,530 in 2024. In 2025, the median Black household income was 62 percent of the median income of non-Hispanic White families. In 2024, the income gap was 60.5 percent. With only minor fluctuations, the racial gap in median income has remained virtually unchanged for more than a half-century.

It is also important to look at the racial gap in income at the highest levels. These families can afford to send their children to the college of their choice without having to worry about financial aid or student loans. Some 19.4 percent of non-Hispanic White households in 2025 had incomes above $200,000. For Black households, 8.7 percent had incomes of more than $200,000. Thus, Whites are more than twice as likely as Blacks to come from high-income households.

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