Median Household Income
The income level at which half of households in a ZIP code earn more and half earn less, a key indicator of an area's economic status.
Median household income is reported by the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) at the ZCTA level and is one of the most widely used economic indicators for ZIP code analysis. Unlike mean (average) income, the median is not skewed by extremely high or low values, making it a better representation of the typical household's economic situation.
As of the 2022 ACS estimates, the national median household income is approximately $75,000, but ZIP-level medians range from under $15,000 in some rural and reservation areas to over $250,000 in affluent suburbs. The ACS publishes this data with margins of error that are wider for smaller ZCTAs.
Businesses use ZIP-level median household income for market segmentation, credit risk assessment, real estate valuation, retail site planning, and targeted marketing. Government agencies use it for program eligibility and funding allocation.