U.S. Wealth Distributions 1989-2001

Federal Reserve median family net worth by percentile for 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001 (Federal Reserve Bulletin January 2003, pp. 1-36). Note the small gains for the bottom 75% of the population and larger gains for the upper 25% and that the 1998 to 2001 gains were largest.

[graph]

[graph]

Federal Reserve median family net worth data by income level for 1989, 1992, 1995, and 1998 (Federal Reserve Bulletin, 86, January 2000, pp. 1-29). All five income categories except incomes over $100,000 have higher net worth in 1998 than they had in 1989.

U.S. Wealth Distribution 1984, 1988, 1991, 1993

[graph]

The graph shows the median net worth of U.S. households by quintile for 1984, 1988, 1991, 1993. Note that in general net worth in all quintiles has not changed substantially, since 1984 to 1988. Median net worth in each quintile shows a slight declining trend. The decline is due to the fact that most of the net worth of households in the U.S. is in homes and other real estate. Property values declined during this period.

Source: Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Particpation 1997:Table F.

[graph]

The graph shows U.S. household net worth by various wealth levels for 1993. The 3.6% of households with wealth levels over $500,000 have almost 60% of the nation's household wealth. The "zero or negative" category has 10% of the white households and 25% of the black, while the $100,000 and above categories include 31% of the white households and 8% of the black households.

Source: Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Particpation 1997:Table 4.

Wealth &
Poverty
Page		 Top Links Court's World OSU
contact info

Updated:Tuesday, 04-Feb-2003 12:14:11 PST
URL is http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth484/wpsipp.html