AnswerMedian household income in major US cities ranges from $57K (San Antonio) to $98K (San Diego). The national median is $78,538 (ACS 2023 5-year). Pick a city below to see its full percentile breakdown.
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-Year Estimates
US income percentile by city [2026]
Median, top 20%, and top 5% household-income thresholds for the largest US metros — sourced directly from the Census Bureau's latest ACS release.
City-level income data matters far more than the national figure when you're trying to judge where you stand. A $120,000 household income puts you comfortably above the median in Philadelphia or San Antonio, but barely reaches the 60th percentile in San Diego. That gap is driven by three forces the national median hides: regional price parities (RPPs) that vary by 20–30% between metros, housing cost structures that reshape the bottom of every city's income distribution, and industry mix — tech and biotech metros skew the upper tail, while service-heavy cities broaden the middle.
All figures on this hub come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), the largest ongoing household survey in the country. The 5-year estimates we use cover 2019–2023 and aggregate roughly 3.5 million household interviews per year for statistical reliability at the city level. "Household income" is the sum of every earner in a dwelling — wages, self-employment, Social Security, interest, dividends, and public assistance — before taxes but after employer retirement contributions.
Click any city below for a full percentile breakdown (p20, p40, p60, p80, p95), housing cost context, and a comparison against peer metros. Each city page is updated when the ACS refreshes each October.
Quick compare — median, top 20%, top 5%
Household-income thresholds for the 22largest covered cities, sorted by median. "Top 20%" is the income required to rank in the upper fifth of that city; "Top 5%" is the 95th percentile.
| City | Median | Top 20% | Top 5% |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $141,565 | $395,000 | $1,500,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | $141,446 | $476,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Seattle, WA | $121,984 | $365,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Washington, DC | $106,287 | $235,940 | $687,000 |
| San Diego, CA | $104,321 | $202,092 | $502,000 |
| Boston, MA | $94,755 | $209,847 | $616,000 |
| Denver, CO | $91,681 | $184,290 | $476,000 |
| Austin, TX | $91,461 | $184,430 | $478,000 |
| Portland, OR | $88,792 | $179,875 | $466,000 |
| Atlanta, GA | $81,938 | $184,246 | $586,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $80,366 | $174,466 | $505,000 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $80,269 | $162,882 | $423,000 |
| New York, NY | $79,713 | $179,550 | $541,000 |
| Charlotte, NC | $78,438 | $161,268 | $432,000 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $77,041 | $150,385 | $377,000 |
| Nashville, TN | $75,197 | $147,169 | $369,000 |
| Chicago, IL | $75,134 | $160,921 | $452,000 |
| Dallas, TX | $67,760 | $144,065 | $427,000 |
| San Antonio, TX | $62,917 | $123,119 | $224,664 |
| Houston, TX | $62,894 | $138,827 | $429,000 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $60,698 | $127,694 | $349,000 |
| Miami, FL | $59,390 | $135,895 | $428,000 |
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates. Figures in 2023 USD. City-level percentiles interpolated from published quintile upper limits (B19080).
Browse cities
San Jose
CA- Population
- 990,054
- Median income
- $141,565
- Top 20%
- $395,000
San Francisco
CA- Population
- 836,321
- Median income
- $141,446
- Top 20%
- $476,000
Seattle
WA- Population
- 741,440
- Median income
- $121,984
- Top 20%
- $365,000
Washington
DC- Population
- 672,079
- Median income
- $106,287
- Top 20%
- $235,940
San Diego
CA- Population
- 1,385,061
- Median income
- $104,321
- Top 20%
- $202,092
Boston
MA- Population
- 663,972
- Median income
- $94,755
- Top 20%
- $209,847
Denver
CO- Population
- 713,734
- Median income
- $91,681
- Top 20%
- $184,290
Austin
TX- Population
- 967,862
- Median income
- $91,461
- Top 20%
- $184,430
Portland
OR- Population
- 642,715
- Median income
- $88,792
- Top 20%
- $179,875
Atlanta
GA- Population
- 499,287
- Median income
- $81,938
- Top 20%
- $184,246
Los Angeles
CA- Population
- 3,857,897
- Median income
- $80,366
- Top 20%
- $174,466
Minneapolis
MN- Population
- 426,845
- Median income
- $80,269
- Top 20%
- $162,882
New York
NY- Population
- 8,516,202
- Median income
- $79,713
- Top 20%
- $179,550
Charlotte
NC- Population
- 886,283
- Median income
- $78,438
- Top 20%
- $161,268
Phoenix
AZ- Population
- 1,624,832
- Median income
- $77,041
- Top 20%
- $150,385
Nashville
TN- Population
- 684,298
- Median income
- $75,197
- Top 20%
- $147,169
Chicago
IL- Population
- 2,707,648
- Median income
- $75,134
- Top 20%
- $160,921
Dallas
TX- Population
- 1,299,553
- Median income
- $67,760
- Top 20%
- $144,065
San Antonio
TX- Population
- 1,458,954
- Median income
- $62,917
- Top 20%
- $123,119
Houston
TX- Population
- 2,300,419
- Median income
- $62,894
- Top 20%
- $138,827
Philadelphia
PA- Population
- 1,582,432
- Median income
- $60,698
- Top 20%
- $127,694
Miami
FL- Population
- 446,663
- Median income
- $59,390
- Top 20%
- $135,895
Methodology & data sources
Calculations on this page use published benchmarks from US federal statistical agencies. Percentile breakpoints are interpolated linearly between published cells. Figures are in current-year USD unless noted. Numbers are educational estimates, not personalized financial advice.
Coverage note. This hub covers 22of the largest US metros and expands as each city's ACS 5-year data is verified. Each city page is refreshed when the Census Bureau releases new ACS estimates every fall.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median income in the US?
The US national median household income is $81,604 (ACS 2024 1-year, the latest 1-year release). For city-level comparisons, the matched-vintage figure is $78,538 from the ACS 2023 5-year file (covering 2019–2023). 1-year estimates are timelier; 5-year estimates have smaller sampling error and are required for many small geographies. Half of US households earn more than the median, half earn less.
Why do cities have different income percentiles?
Three forces drive city-to-city variation. First, regional price parities (RPPs) differ — a $100,000 salary in San Francisco has roughly the same buying power as $72,000 in San Antonio, so high-wage metros cluster highly paid industries. Second, cost of living (especially housing) sets a floor — cities with expensive housing cannot retain low-wage workers, pushing their distribution upward. Third, industry mix matters: tech hubs like San Diego and Austin skew to higher incomes, while legacy manufacturing or service-heavy metros have broader tails.
How often is this data updated?
The Census Bureau releases updated ACS data every September/October. The 5-year estimates (which we use for city-level percentiles) aggregate the prior five years of sampling for statistical reliability — the 2023 5-year file covers 2019–2023, and the 2024 5-year release is due December 2026. National 1-year figures on this site track the latest annual release (currently ACS 2024). We refresh each fall when new ACS tables drop.
Is household income the same as personal income?
No. Household income sums all earners in a single dwelling — a dual-earner couple counts as one household with combined income. Personal income is per-worker. Most percentile tables (including ours) report household income because that is what the Census publishes for city-level geography. A median personal income is typically 35–45% lower than median household income in the same city.