Median Household Income Data

A summary of the Census Median Household Income Data specification.

1.0 Introduction

Median Household Income data is calculated by the US census as the amount which divides the income distribution into two equal groups. One group's income is above the median, and the second half is categorized into incomes below the median. The median is calculated based on people 15 years old and over with income. The data sets range from 2015 - to 2020 and have been aggregated to census tracts.

The Census defines income further as income received on a regular basis (exclusive of certain money receipts such as capital gains) before payments for personal income taxes, social security, union dues, medicare deductions, etc. Median household income does not reflect the fact that some families receive part of their income in the form of noncash benefits, in the form of food stamps, health benefits, subsidized housing, and goods produced and consumed on the farm, etc. These details should be considered when utilizing income data.

Census Income Parameters: Census.gov

2.0 Data Specification

The following table is the format in which downloaded Median Household Income data will be provided:

Field	Type	Description
`geo_id`	String	14-digit code relating the data to the correct geolocation.
`census_tract_code`	String	The unique identifier provided by the US Census for each census tract.
`sub_category`	String	Median Household Income.
`unit`	String	Total Count ($).
`value`	Float	Median Household Income for corresponding census tract provided in dollars.
`year`	String	Year data was collected.
`county_name`	String	Name of the county that the census tract resides in.
`state_name`	String	Name of the state that the census tract resides in.
`geometry`	String	The GIS information required for the computer to read the mapping file.

💡Tip: The “GEO.ID” field contains 14-digit codes that identify the summary level of data, the geographic component of the data, and FIPS codes that uniquely identify the data. For example, the 14-digit “GEO.ID” for Harris County, TX is “0500000US48201” where “050” represents the summary level of the data, “0000” represents the 2-digit geographic variant, and the 2-digit geographic component, “US” represents the United States, “48” represents the state of Texas and “201” represents Harris County.