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Median vs. Mean Household Income

The gap between low-income and high-income earners has increased over the past decade

The gap between Lincoln’s mean and median income has increased over the past decade. Because very high incomes inflate the mean, an increase in the mean-median gap indicates an increase in the gap between low-income and high-income earners.

• Lincoln’s mean income has been on average $16,596 higher than Lincoln’s median income over the past decade.
• The gap between the mean and the median income has ranged from 29% to 41% of the median income between 2013 and 2023.

notes

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-year estimates, Table DP03; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index Research Series Using Current Methods (CPI-U-RS), U.S. city average, all items, 1978-2023.