Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026 shows US real median household income of $75,380 in 2016, $81,580 in 2020 (up 8.2% during Trump’s first term), $83,730 in 2024 (up 2.6% during Biden’s term, in 2024 dollars) and a record $87,460 in 2025 (up 2.6%), according to the Census Bureau. Consumer prices rose 6.4% from 2016 to 2020 and 19.9% from 2020 to 2024, and in the 12 months to September 2026 inflation hit 3.7% while real hourly earnings fell 0.7%.
Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026 – Introduction
Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026 is a question the official data can answer only in part. The Census Bureau publishes median household income once a year, in September, for the prior year, so the latest figure is for 2025 and no 2026 household income exists yet. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes monthly wages and prices, which cover 2026 through September. This report uses both and names the source of every figure.
Income data show what happened during a presidency, not what a president caused. The 2020 pandemic recession, the 2021–2022 inflation surge, global energy prices and Federal Reserve policy all shaped these numbers. The report uses the standard convention: the baseline is the last full income year before each term began. Where the Census series was revised, the report shows both vintages. Figures are current as of October 31, 2026.
Interesting Facts About Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026
REAL MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, SELECTED YEARS (USD)
2016 (2024 dollars) ██████████████████████████████████░░░░░░ 75,380
2020 (2024 dollars) █████████████████████████████████████░░░ 81,580
2022 (2024 dollars) ████████████████████████████████████░░░░ 79,500
2024 (2024 dollars) ██████████████████████████████████████░░ 83,730
2025 (2025 dollars) ████████████████████████████████████████ 87,460
| Metric | Latest Data Point |
|---|---|
| Real median household income, 2025 (Census) | $87,460 (record since 1967) |
| Change from 2024 | +2.6% (from $85,210) |
| Median post-tax household income, 2025 | $76,060 (+3.1%) |
| Real median household income, 2016 | $75,380 (2024 dollars) |
| Change, Trump first term (2016–2020) | +8.2% |
| Change, Biden term (2020–2024) | +2.6% |
| Prices, 2016–2020 / 2020–2024 (C-CPI-U) | +6.4% / +19.9% |
| Average hourly earnings, September 2026 | $37.81 (+3.0% over 12 months) |
| Consumer prices, 12 months to September 2026 | +3.7% |
| Real average hourly earnings, 12 months to September 2026 | –0.7% |
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Income in the United States: 2025 (P60-289, September 15, 2026); Census median household income series via FRED (2024 dollars, September 2025 vintage); BLS Consumer Price Index and Real Earnings releases (October 14, 2026). Term changes are report calculations.
Census reports that real median household income reached $87,460 in 2025, up 2.6% and the highest on record. The pre-2025 comparison uses an older vintage in 2024 dollars: $75,380 in 2016, $81,580 in 2020 and $83,730 in 2024. Within that series, income rose 8.2% over 2016–2020 and 2.6% over 2020–2024.
Prices tell a different story by term. The chained consumer price index rose 6.4% from 2016 to 2020 and 19.9% from 2020 to 2024. Wages kept pace in the first period and roughly matched prices in the second. In 2026 inflation rose to 3.7%, ahead of 3.0% hourly earnings growth. These rows frame Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026 as a story about income, prices and timing together.
US Median Household Income by Year 2016–2025: Census Data
YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE IN REAL MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME (%)
2017 ██████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 1.8
2018 █████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 1.3
2019 ████████████████████████████████████████ 7.2
2020 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ -2.0
2021 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ -0.4
2022 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ -2.2
2023 ██████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 4.0
2024 ███████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 1.3
2025 ██████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 2.6
| Income Year | Real Median Household Income | Change vs Prior Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $75,380 | +3.6% |
| 2017 | $76,710 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | $77,700 | +1.3% |
| 2019 | $83,260 | +7.2% |
| 2020 | $81,580 | –2.0% |
| 2021 | $81,270 | –0.4% |
| 2022 | $79,500 | –2.2% |
| 2023 | $82,690 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $83,730 | +1.3% |
| 2025 | $87,460 (2025 dollars) | +2.6% (vs revised 2024 of $85,210) |
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau via FRED, Real Median Household Income in the United States (2024 C-CPI-U dollars, retrieved from the September 2025 release); Census, Income in the United States: 2025 (September 2026) for 2025. Percentage changes for 2017–2024 are report calculations.
Median household income jumped 7.2% in 2019 to $83,260, fell 2.0% in 2020, and kept slipping to $79,500 in 2022, a drop of 4.5% from 2019 (report calculation). It recovered 5.3% over 2023 and 2024. Census says the 2025 figure of $87,460 beats both the 2019 peak and 2024. The table’s last row uses 2025 dollars, so compare its 2.6% change, not its level, with earlier rows.
The two vintages differ. The Sept 2025 series shows 2024 at $83,730 in 2024 dollars. The 2026 report restates 2024 as $85,210 in 2025 dollars after new population controls and a 2.5% price adjustment. Multiplying $83,730 by 1.025 gives about $85,800, so revisions lowered 2024 by roughly 0.7%. Median income is the midpoint household, and the ±$1,040 margin of error on $87,460 means small year-to-year changes carry uncertainty in Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026.
Median Household Income by Presidential Term 2026: Trump First Term, Biden and Trump Second Term
CHANGE IN REAL MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME BY TERM (%)
Trump 1st (2016-2020) ████████████████████████████████████████ 8.2
Biden (2020-2024) ████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 2.6
Trump 2nd, first year (2025)████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 2.6
| Term | Baseline to End | Change in Real Median Income | Dollar Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trump first term | 2016 to 2020 | +8.2% | +$6,200 |
| First term, to pre-pandemic peak | 2016 to 2019 | +10.5% | +$7,880 |
| Biden term | 2020 to 2024 | +2.6% | +$2,150 |
| Biden term, low point | 2020 to 2022 | –2.5% | –$2,080 |
| Trump second term, first year | 2024 to 2025 | +2.6% | +$2,250 |
| Full period, chained | 2016 to 2025 | About +14.0% | Not applicable |
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau via FRED (2024 dollars) and Income in the United States: 2025. Dollar amounts and chained total are report calculations; the chained total multiplies the 2016–2024 change of 11.1% by the 2025 change of 2.6%.
Income rose 8.2% over Trump’s first four income years, with a 10.5% gain through 2019 before the pandemic recession. Over Biden’s term it rose 2.6%, after falling 2.5% to a 2022 low. All three cuts rest on the Census baseline convention: 2016 for Trump’s first term, 2020 for Biden’s and 2024 for the second. The pandemic recession struck in 2020, so each starting year affects the result.
The second term has one data point so far, +2.6% in 2025. Census itself notes that the 2025 data do not capture changes in inflation or other economic shifts in 2026. Chaining the series gives about 14.0% growth from 2016 to 2025 (report calculation). That chaining mixes vintages and is approximate. For Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026, the fair summary is that income grew in both administrations, faster in the first.
US Inflation Under Trump vs Biden 2026: Price Changes by Year and Term
ANNUAL CHANGE IN CHAINED CPI-U (%)
2016 █████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 0.9
2017 ██████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 1.8
2018 ███████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 2.0
2019 ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 1.5
2020 █████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 1.0
2021 ███████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 4.5
2022 ████████████████████████████████████████ 7.7
2023 ████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 3.9
2024 █████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 2.6
2025 █████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 2.5
| Period | C-CPI-U Change | Annual Rates in the Period |
|---|---|---|
| Trump first term (2016–2020) | +6.4% | 1.8%, 2.0%, 1.5%, 1.0% |
| Biden term (2020–2024) | +19.9% | 4.5%, 7.7%, 3.9%, 2.6% |
| Trump second term, 2025 | +2.5% | 2.5% |
| 2016–2025 total | +30.8% | Not applicable |
| 12 months to September 2026 (CPI-U) | +3.7% | Core: 2.6% |
| September 2026 monthly change (CPI-U, seasonally adjusted) | +0.6% | Gasoline: +9.1% |
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Income in the United States: 2025, Appendix A (chained CPI-U annual index, BLS); BLS Consumer Price Index, September 2026 (October 14, 2026). Term and total changes are report calculations from annual index values.
Prices rose 6.4% over Trump’s first term and 19.9% over Biden’s, using the annual chained CPI-U that Census uses to adjust income. The peak year was 2022 at 7.7%. The index rose 30.8% from 2016 to 2025 in total (report calculation). The Census series counts price changes year to year, so it differs from December-to-December readings.
Inflation is rising again in 2026. BLS reported that the CPI-U increased 3.7% over the 12 months to September 2026, up from 3.4% in August. The core index, which excludes food and energy, rose 2.6%. Gasoline climbed 9.1% in September alone and accounted for over half of the monthly increase. That reading drives the real wage squeeze shown below and shapes Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026 for the second term.
Average Hourly Earnings Under Trump vs Biden 2026: BLS Wage Growth by Term
AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS, ALL PRIVATE EMPLOYEES (USD)
Dec 2016 █████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 25.93
Dec 2020 ████████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░ 29.91
Dec 2024 █████████████████████████████████░░░░░░░ 35.69
Sep 2026 ████████████████████████████████████░░░░ 37.81
| Period | Start | End | Nominal Change | Dollar Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trump first term | Dec 2016: $25.93 | Dec 2020: $29.91 | +15.3% | +$3.98 |
| Biden term | Dec 2020: $29.91 | Dec 2024: $35.69 | +19.3% | +$5.78 |
| Trump second term to date | Dec 2024: $35.69 | Sep 2026: $37.81 | +5.9% | +$2.12 |
| Approximate real change, first term | Wages vs prices | Report calculation | About +8.4% | Not applicable |
| Approximate real change, Biden term | Wages vs prices | Report calculation | About –0.5% | Not applicable |
Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (average hourly earnings, all private employees, seasonally adjusted), via FRED; BLS Employment Situation, September 2026. The December 2016 value is derived from the January 2017 level and BLS’s one-month net change. Approximate real changes compare December wage levels with annual chained CPI-U changes and are report calculations.
Hourly earnings grew 15.3% from December 2016 to December 2020 and 19.3% from December 2020 to December 2024. The second term has seen 5.9% growth through September 2026, from $35.69 to $37.81. Dollar gains were $3.98 and $5.78 in the first two periods, and $2.12 so far in the third.
Faster nominal growth under Biden coincided with much faster prices. Setting wage growth against the chained CPI, workers’ real hourly earnings rose about 8.4% over the first term and slipped about 0.5% over the Biden term (report calculation). That comparison mixes December wage readings with annual-average prices, so treat it as a rough guide. BLS’s own real earnings series is more precise for recent months. In Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026, the lesson is that high wage growth does not equal rising buying power when prices move faster.
Real Wages in 2026: Earnings, Inflation and the Squeeze
12-MONTH CHANGE TO SEPTEMBER 2026 (%)
Average hourly earnings, all ██████████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░ 3.0
Hourly earnings, production staff █████████████████████████████████░░░░░░░ 3.3
CPI-U (consumer prices) █████████████████████████████████████░░░ 3.7
Real hourly earnings, all ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ -0.7
| Measure (September 2026) | Value |
|---|---|
| Average hourly earnings, all private employees | $37.81 (from $36.70, +3.0%) |
| Average hourly earnings, production and nonsupervisory | $32.60 (from $31.56, +3.3%) |
| CPI-U, 12-month change | +3.7% |
| Real average hourly earnings, all employees, 12 months | –0.7% |
| Real average hourly earnings, production and nonsupervisory | –0.6% |
| Real average weekly earnings, all employees, 12 months | –0.1% |
| Real average hourly earnings, monthly change | –0.5% |
Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Real Earnings — September 2026 and Employment Situation — September 2026 (October 2026 releases); average hourly earnings of $36.70 for September 2025 from BLS via FRED.
Wages did not keep up with prices in the year to September 2026. Hourly earnings rose 3.0% to $37.81, while the CPI-U rose 3.7%, leaving real hourly earnings down 0.7%. For production and nonsupervisory workers, pay rose 3.3% to $32.60 and real pay fell 0.6%. A 0.6% increase in the average workweek held the drop in real weekly earnings to 0.1%.
The monthly pattern shows a recent shock. In September, average hourly earnings rose only 0.1% while consumer prices rose 0.6%, driven by a 9.1% jump in gasoline. That is why real hourly pay fell 0.5% in one month. Census household income for 2025 captures none of this. Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026 therefore changes direction in 2026, with real wages falling after a record 2025.
Median Household Income by Race and Group 2026: Census Data for 2025
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME BY GROUP, 2025 (THOUSANDS USD)
Asian ████████████████████████████████████████ 126.3
White, not Hispanic ██████████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░ 96.7
All households ███████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 87.5
Hispanic (any race) ███████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 73.3
Black ██████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 60.0
| Group (2025) | Median Household Income | Change vs 2024 | Share of National Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| All households | $87,460 | +2.6% | 100% |
| Asian | $126,300 | Not significant | 144.4% |
| White, not Hispanic | $96,710 | +2.9% | 110.6% |
| Hispanic (any race) | $73,260 | Not significant | 83.8% |
| Black | $59,980 | +4.8% | 68.6% |
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Income in the United States: 2025 (P60-289), Figures 1 and 2 (CPS ASEC 2026). Shares of the national median are report calculations.
Black households saw the largest gain among major groups, up 4.8% to $59,980, while Asian and Hispanic household changes were not statistically significant. White non-Hispanic households rose 2.9% to $96,710. Asian households had the highest median at $126,300, 44.4% above the national figure. The Black median is 68.6% of the national figure and still the lowest, even after the gain.
The Hispanic median of $73,260 is 83.8% of the national figure, and the White non-Hispanic median is 110.6% of it (report calculations). Groups differ in age, household size and nativity, so these numbers describe outcomes, not causes, in Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026.
Income Inequality and Earnings 2026: Percentiles, Gini Index and the Gender Gap
HOUSEHOLD INCOME AT SELECTED PERCENTILES, 2025 (THOUSANDS USD)
90th percentile ████████████████████████████████████████ 261.3
Median (50th) █████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 87.5
10th percentile ███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 20.0
| Measure (2025) | Value |
|---|---|
| 90th percentile household income | $261,300 (+1.7%) |
| 10th percentile household income | $20,010 (no significant change) |
| 90th to 10th percentile ratio | 13.06 (12.74 in 2024) |
| Gini index, pretax / post-tax | 0.490 / 0.448 |
| Share of aggregate income, top quintile / bottom quintile | 52.4% / 3.0% |
| Share of aggregate income, top 5% | 23.5% |
| Median earnings, all workers / full-time, year-round | $52,770 / $66,620 |
| Full-time, year-round median, men / women | $72,380 / $60,760 (+3.2%) |
| Female-to-male earnings ratio | 83.9% (from 80.6%) |
| Median income, post-tax vs pretax | $76,060 vs $87,460 |
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Income in the United States: 2025 (P60-289), Figures 3–6.
Gains in 2025 were uneven. Income at the 90th percentile rose 1.7% to $261,300, while income at the 10th percentile stayed near $20,010 with no significant change. The 90th-to-10th ratio is 13.06, and the top quintile receives 52.4% of aggregate income against 3.0% for the bottom quintile. The Gini index of 0.490 did not change significantly from 2024.
Taxes and credits narrow the gap. The post-tax Gini is 0.448, 8.7% below the pretax figure, and median post-tax household income is $76,060, 13.0% below the pretax median. Among full-time, year-round workers, women’s median earnings rose 3.2% to $60,760, lifting the female-to-male ratio to 83.9% from 80.6%, the first significant yearly rise since 2016. Men’s earnings of $72,380 did not change significantly.
Average Income Under Trump vs Biden 2016–2026 FAQ
Who Had Higher Median Household Income, Trump or Biden, in 2026?
Real median household income rose 8.2% over Trump’s first term (2016–2020) and 2.6% over Biden’s (2020–2024). The 2025 figure of $87,460 is a record, up 2.6% in Trump’s second term’s first year.
What Is the Median Household Income in the US in 2026?
The latest figure is $87,460 for 2025, from the Census Bureau’s September 2026 release. Census typically publishes each year’s figure the following September, so 2026 data should appear in September 2027.
How Much Did Median Household Income Grow Under Biden?
Real median household income rose from $81,580 in 2020 to $83,730 in 2024 in 2024 dollars, up 2.6%. It fell to $79,500 in 2022 before recovering.
How Much Did Median Household Income Grow Under Trump’s First Term?
From $75,380 in 2016 to $81,580 in 2020 in 2024 dollars, up 8.2%. It reached $83,260 in 2019 before the pandemic recession.
How Much Did Prices Rise Under Trump and Biden?
The chained CPI-U rose 6.4% over 2016–2020 and 19.9% over 2020–2024, with a peak annual rate of 7.7% in 2022.
What Is the Inflation Rate in 2026?
The CPI-U rose 3.7% over the 12 months to September 2026, with core inflation at 2.6%.
Are Wages Keeping Up With Inflation in 2026?
No. Average hourly earnings rose 3.0% over the 12 months to September 2026 against 3.7% inflation, so real hourly earnings fell 0.7%.
What Is the Average Hourly Wage in the US in 2026?
$37.81 for all private employees in September 2026, and $32.60 for production and nonsupervisory employees.
How Do Trump and Biden Compare on Wage Growth?
Nominal hourly earnings rose 15.3% from December 2016 to December 2020 and 19.3% from December 2020 to December 2024. Prices rose far more in the second period, so real gains were larger in the first.
Does the Income Data Show What a President Caused in 2026?
No. The data show what happened during each term. The pandemic, inflation shocks, energy prices and Federal Reserve policy all affected incomes.
Why Do Income Figures Differ by Source in 2026?
Census income is pretax money income reported by households in a survey, with revisions. BLS wage data come from employer payrolls. Each uses different samples and dollar bases.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.