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Rich Americans Are Changing What It Means to Be Average
A closer look at Census data shows U.S. income inequality is growing
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To get a clearer picture of income inequality across U.S. households, consider adjusting your choice of statistical measures.
On the surface, Census Bureau data released Tuesday showed little change in the gap between rich and poor because the traditional measure of income inequality – the Gini index – was basically steady from 2015 to 2016. But the difference between median and mean household income hit a record last year, which suggests the rich got richer as they left the typical American household further behind.