US Poverty Rate Falls to Record 10.2% as Median Household Income Hits $87,460
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 17
US Poverty Rate Falls to Record 10.2% as Median Household Income Hits $87,460
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 17
Summary
Census Bureau data showed the US poverty rate fell to a record 10.2% in 2025, down about half a percentage point from 2024, while the uninsured rate stayed near historic lows.
Median household income rose 2.6% to a record $87,460, though the report said roughly 3% inflation between 2024 and 2025 eroded much of that gain in purchasing power.
About 85% of respondents in Fox News polling said their personal finances were worsening or unchanged through 2025, underscoring a gap between improving national indicators and household sentiment.
Southern and Sun Belt growth—helped by internal migration, lower taxes and business-friendly policies—has outpaced the national economy, while housing costs, gas prices and tariff-driven price increases have kept affordability pressure high.
That disconnect has fed political risk for President Donald Trump, with roughly two-thirds of voters in a recent Fox poll saying his administration is making the economy worse.