The median money income of families in the United States was $9,430 in 1969, according to estimates recently released by the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce. This was about $800, or 9.3 percent, higher than the 1968 figure of $8,630. Since consumer prices rose 5.4 percent during the same period, the real gain in family purchasing power was about 3. 7 percent.¹

Of the 51.2 million families in the United States 9.3 percent received incomes below $3,000 in 1969. This figure compares to 10.3 percent in 1968. Families with incomes between $3,000 and $5,000 accounted for 5.5 million families; and another 6.3 million, or 12.3 percent had incomes between $5,000 and $7,000; 11.1 million families had incomes between $7,000 and $10,000. The number of families with incomes of $10,000 or more increased from 20.1 million families or 39.7 percent in 1968 to 23.6 million families or 45.9 percent in 1969.

In 1969, the median incomes of men and women were about $6,430 and $2,130, respectively. The median income for men increased approximately 7.5 percent in 1969, not significantly different from the increase in the median for women of 5.6 percent. For men working year round full time, the median income was $8,670, 10.9 percent higher than the 1968 median. For women working year round full time, the median income was $5,080, an increase of 11.1 percent, not significantly different from the increase for men.

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¹ See Monthly Labor Review, March 1970, U.S. Department of Labor, table 23, page 97.