Income

Three of the most widely used measures of income are:

1.  Bureau of Economic Analysis’ measure of personal income

Personal income is income received by persons from all sources. It includes income received from participation in production as well as from government and business transfer payments. It is the sum of compensation of employees (wages and salaries and fringe benefits), proprietors’ income, rental income of persons, personal income receipts on assets (interests and dividends), and personal current transfer receipts (social insurance benefits), less contributions for government social insurance.

Total Personal Income Per capita Personal Income Disposable Personal Income
current dollars current dollars current dollars
inflation-adjusted dollars inflation-adjusted dollars inflation-adjusted dollars

Quarterly State Personal Income, from 1948

2.  Census Bureau’s measure of money income

Money income consists of income in cash and its equivalents that is received by individuals. It excludes employer contributions to government employee retirement plans and to private health and pension funds, lump-sum payments except those received as part of earnings, certain in-kind transfer payments-such as medicaid, medicare, and food stamps-and imputed income. Money income includes contributions for social insurance, retirement income from government employee retirement plans and from private pensions and annuities, and income from interpersonal transfers, such as child support. Access database here.

Median Household Income / Median Family Income
current dollars
inflation-adjusted dollars

3.  Internal Revenue Service’s measure of adjusted gross income (AGI) of individuals

Federal AGI consists of the taxable income of individuals who filed a Federal income tax return. It includes contributions for social insurance, gains and losses on the sale of assets, and retirement income from government employee retirement plans and from private pensions and annuities. AGI excludes the income of the recipients of taxable incomes who, legally or illegally, did not file an individual tax return.

California AGI

To determine federal AGI, taxpayers must subtract federal adjustments from federal income. Once the taxpayer’s federal AGI has been determined, California adjustments, both additions and subtractions, are made to federal AGI to determine the California AGI. To access California personal income tax statistics, download the Annual Reports.

Other Income Statistics

Minimum Houly Wage, Federal and California

Poverty Income Guideline by Family Size, Federal

Source