What is the median household income in the US?

[squirm]

I've seen a few surveys that indicate around $49K or so for household income. What is a "household income" and is that before or after taxes? How do you find the median income for your state? One other point, notice I said median not average, as imo, average will skew the results due very high income earners.

[CordMcNally]

Virtually every income number that you see listed anywhere is always before taxes. There are usually two different reported numbers if you're looking at a particular city: household income and family income. They're both measuring exactly what they say there are...household is measuring everyone's income who lives in the house regardless of relationship to each other and family income is measuring a family's income.

[Sheepdog]

US Census Bureau has median income by state http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/statemedian/

[ourbrooks]

Here's the Census bureau definition:

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/training/web/calculator/definitions/census.cfm

Note that it includes what government giveth - Social Security and other kinds of government assistance.