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Income of Families and Persons in the United States: 1949
Income of Families and Persons in the United States: 1949
Report Number P60-07
Average family income decreased by $100 from 1948 to 1949, the first decrease recorded in the postwar period, according to estimates issued today by Roy V. Peel, Director, Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce. The income of the average family was $3,100 in 1949. Although this was somewhat lower than the figure for the preceding year, it was still about $500 higher than the medians for the war years of 1944 and 1945.
Eight million families in the United States received incomes of $5,000 or more in 1949, and 10 1/2 million had incomes under $2,000. The remaining 20 1/2 million families were in the $2,000 to $5,000 bracket. The distribution by income of the nation's 39 million families (groups of two or more related persons) is shown below:1
Table 1.--NUMBER OF FAMILIES, BY FAMILY INCOME, FOR THE UNITED STATES: 1949
| Family Income | Number of Families |
|---|---|
| Total | 39,100,000 |
| Under $1,000 | 4,700,000 |
| $1,000 to $1,999 | 5,800,000 |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 8,100,000 |
| $3,000 to $3,999 | 7,800,000 |
| $4,000 to $4,999 | 4,700,000 |
| $5,000 to $5,999 | 3,100,000 |
| $6,000 to $6,999 | 1,900,000 |
| $7,000 to $9,999 | 2,000,000 |
| $10,000 and over | 1,000,000 |
__________
1 These figures are derived from the data in table 1 and are rounded to the nearest 100,000.
A Note on Language
Census statistics date back to 1790 and reflect the growth and change of the United States. Past census reports contain some terms that today’s readers may consider obsolete and inappropriate. As part of our goal to be open and transparent with the public, we are improving access to all Census Bureau original publications and statistics, which serve as a guide to the nation's history.
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Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021
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