Philadelphia Household Income Increasing, New Census Data Shows

As a whole, Philadelphia households made more money in 2015 than they did in 2014, according to new census data that was made public on Thursday.

Median household income in Philadelphia County climbed from $39,043 in 2014 to $41,233 in 2015, the data shows.

That's despite a statewide drop across Pennsylvania. That number last year was $55,702, compared with $53,234 in 2014.

Median incomes varied significantly by demographics in Philadelphia. There was disparity in median income for Asians ($41,604), Caucasians ($54,989), Latinos ($30,059), and African Americans ($31,387).

Asian income dropped by about $3,000, while Caucasian income increased by about $3,000 in 2015. Latino and African American median income, meanwhile, increased slightly.

In nearby Montgomery County, median income in 2015 was $83,254.

>>Montgomery County Housing Market Hits 7 Year High, County Says

Median household income in the United States in 2015 was $56,516, an increase of 5.2 percent from 2014. The median household income increased in 39 states and the District of Columbia — the highest increase was Montana, with 6.8 percent. Maryland and D.C. have the highest median household incomes at $75,847 and $75,628, respectively. The lowest is Mississippi — at $40,593, it was statistically unchanged from 2014's rate.

Incomes rose in 21 of the nation's 25 largest metropolitan areas, while poverty decreased in 16 out of the 25. National numbers released earlier this week noted that the nation had seen an annual increase in household incomes for the first time since 2007, a year before the recession. The U.S. also saw the largest annual decrease in the poverty rate since 1999.

No state saw a poverty rate increase, according to Census figures, and nearly half saw poverty rates decrease between 2014 and 2015. Poverty rates in 2015 ranged from a low of 8.2 percent in New Hampshire to a high of 22.0 percent in Mississippi, according to survey numbers.

Some of the highest poverty rates were found in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico. Some of the lowest poverty rates were found in Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Vermont.

"The American Community Survey allows us to track incremental changes across our nation on how Americans live and work, year­-to­-year," Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson said in a statement. "It helps people, businesses and governments in all of our states and local communities better understand the needs of their populations, the markets in which they operate and the challenges and opportunities they face."

Patch file photo.