What percentage of Americans make over $150,000?

What ‘making over $150,000’ can mean

When a report says people “make over $150,000,” the meaning depends on the measurement unit you choose. The phrase can refer to households as counted by the Census Bureau, to tax returns counted by the IRS, or to individuals estimated from microdata, and that choice changes the measured share of Americans above the threshold; readers should expect the unit to be stated alongside the figure Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023.

Household income is the Census concept used in the American Community Survey and related reports. It sums income for everyone 15 or older living in a housing unit and reports a household-level distribution that includes a bracket for $150,000 and above. That household lens captures combined earnings from multiple adults living together and therefore often shows a larger share above $150,000 than an individual-only count.

Tax-return counts, by contrast, use Adjusted Gross Income on individual tax returns and are available from IRS SOI tables; they omit people who do not file and reflect tax-reporting rules rather than the survey-based concept of household income, which is why filer and household percentages can differ SOI Publication 1304.

Individual-level estimates are possible with survey microdata such as IPUMS or CPS but require choices about how to treat non-earners, students, and dependents. These microdata approaches let researchers create custom definitions but also require clear documentation of the choices made IPUMS USA.

Primary data sources you should cite

The authoritative household distribution for recent years is the Census Bureau report “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023,” which is the standard source for headline household percentages and trend discussion; cite it when you report a household share above $150,000 Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023 (see detailed tables Income in the United States: 2023 tables).

For state and demographic breakdowns, the ACS 1-year estimates and specifically Table B19001 provide household counts by income bracket, including a $150,000-plus row; these tables are the usual source when you need a consistent state-level household percentage ACS Table B19001.

If you want filer-level counts, use the IRS Statistics of Income tables, which report counts of tax returns by AGI bracket and let you calculate the share of returns with AGI above $150,000; remember that these tables reflect tax-reporting units and exclude non-filers SOI Publication 1304.

When researchers need custom individual or subgroup estimates, microdata such as IPUMS or ACS PUMS permit tailored definitions and reweighting, and they are the recommended routes for producing maps or subgroup charts with reproducible methods IPUMS USA.

How to produce a responsible headline percentage

Start by naming the unit you are reporting and the data year: for example, say “X percent of households had incomes above $150,000 in 2023, according to the Census Bureau.” That simple framing makes the scope clear and avoids mixing household and filer measures in the same headline Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023.

Decide whether you report nominal or inflation-adjusted dollars and state that choice. If you express results in 2023 dollars, say so; if you use nominal dollars, include the year in the sentence. This matters because inflation adjustments change how older data compare to current thresholds SOI Publication 1304.

Document exclusions such as non-filers or institutional populations and link to the exact table or microdata extract you used, for example ACS Table B19001 or the SOI table for the tax year in question. That makes your headline reproducible and transparent ACS Table B19001.

Why Census household and IRS filer estimates often differ

Census household income sums the income of everyone in a housing unit, so a two-earner household is more likely to exceed $150,000 even if each individual earner earns less. That structural difference in the unit of analysis is the core reason household percentages and filer percentages diverge Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023.

Coverage differences also matter: IRS SOI counts tax returns and therefore excludes non-filers, which can bias filer shares upward or downward depending on who files in a given year; use SOI when you want a tax-reporting view and Census/ACS when you want a household economic view SOI Publication 1304.

Practical reporting implication: if your audience is the public interested in household standard of living, the Census/ACS household percentage is usually the better headline. If the interest is tax policy or tax units, the SOI filer share is the more relevant number Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023.

State and demographic breakdowns: how to get them and what they show

Use ACS 1-year tables to get state-level household percentages for the year; Table B19001 provides the household counts by bracket and is straightforward to use for state-level reporting ACS Table B19001.

For custom subgroup work, IPUMS PUMS microdata lets researchers define individuals or alternate household concepts and calculate weighted estimates with margins of error; that approach is standard for maps and demographic slices IPUMS USA.

Analyses that map concentrations of higher-income households often find geographic clustering in metro areas and certain states, a pattern discussed in research analyses; those patterns emerge clearly when one uses ACS state and PUMS data for visualization Income Growth at the Top and the Geography of Affluence.

What researchers report about trends in higher-income shares

Several research centers have used Census and IRS data to show that the share of households or filers above $150,000 has generally increased over the last decade, with differences in magnitude depending on whether the analysis uses household or filer units Trends in U.S. Income Distribution and High-Income Households.

Researchers commonly point to three drivers: income gains concentrated at the top, changes in household composition such as more dual-earner households, and geographic concentration of higher incomes in certain metropolitan areas. These factors combine differently across methods, which is why studies can emphasize different causes Income Growth at the Top and the Geography of Affluence.

When writing about trends, clearly state the dataset and unit used, because trend magnitudes vary by the method and by whether researchers adjust for inflation or changes in household composition Trends in U.S. Income Distribution and High-Income Households.

Common methodological pitfalls and how to avoid them

A frequent mistake is mixing household and filer figures without conversion or clear labeling; do not present an IRS filer percentage as if it were a household percentage. Always label the unit and the data year in the same sentence as the percentage Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023.

Another pitfall is failing to state whether dollars were inflation-adjusted. If you compare years, choose a real-dollar series or clearly state that you are using nominal dollars with the year labeled. That simple clarification keeps comparisons honest and reproducible SOI Publication 1304.

Finally, watch for incorrect inferences about individuals from household figures. A household above $150,000 may include members who earn little or nothing; explain that the household number does not equal every household member’s income IPUMS USA.

Worked example: calculating the household share above $150,000 with ACS

Step 1, choose the table and year: use ACS Table B19001 for the year you need and note whether you use the 1-year or 5-year file; for a single-year state estimate the 1-year table is appropriate and the table includes a $150,000-and-over row ACS Table B19001 (see the table on data.census.gov ACSDT1Y2023 view).

Step 2, compute the weighted counts: sum the households in the $150,000-and-over rows, divide by the total number of households in the table, and multiply by 100 to get the percentage. If you present a survey estimate, also compute and report the margin of error to show uncertainty IPUMS USA.

Step 3, present the result with attribution and year: use a sentence such as “X percent of households had incomes above $150,000 in 2023, according to ACS Table B19001,” and include a link to the specific table so readers can reproduce the calculation ACS Table B19001.

Worked example: estimating the filer share using IRS SOI AGI tables

Step 1, choose the SOI table and year: use the SOI Publication 1304 tables for the tax year you are examining and identify the AGI rows that sum to more than $150,000, then obtain the counts of returns in those rows SOI Publication 1304.

Step 2, compute the filer share: divide the count of returns with AGI over $150,000 by the total number of returns in the table and report the result as a percentage, noting explicitly that the denominator is filing tax returns and that non-filers are excluded.

Step 3, qualification language: add a sentence such as “This filer share is based on IRS tax returns for the tax year 2023 and excludes non-filers; AGI is a tax concept and differs from survey household income,” which gives readers the correct scope without conflating units SOI Publication 1304.

How to explain the number to readers in plain language

Headline template 1: “X percent of households in the United States had incomes above $150,000 in 2023, according to the Census Bureau.” That sentence states unit, year, and source in one line and is suitable for general audiences Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023.

Headline template 2: “Y percent of tax returns reported AGI above $150,000 for tax year 2023, according to IRS SOI tables.” Use this when your focus is tax units and tax policy rather than household living standards SOI Publication 1304.

One-line clarifier to use after a headline: “This figure reflects the reporting unit named above and does not show incomes of every person in a household or tax unit.” Avoid phrasing that implies causation or guarantees about economic conditions.

Nuances reporters commonly ask about

Household size and multiple earners affect the share: a household with two moderate earners can exceed $150,000 even if no individual earns that much, which is why household reporting is useful for standard-of-living stories Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023.

Adjusting for regional cost of living is appropriate when comparing purchasing power across areas; if you present cost-adjusted figures, explain your price index and why it is relevant to readers in different states or metro areas Income Growth at the Top and the Geography of Affluence.

What a single headline number cannot tell you

A single percentage does not show within-household inequality or how income is distributed among members; it also does not reveal income sources such as wages, capital gains, or transfers, which different data sources may capture differently Trends in U.S. Income Distribution and High-Income Households.

Survey data and tax data are collected on different timetables and use different concepts, so expect timing and definition differences when you compare the Census household number to the IRS filer number for the same nominal year Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023.

When using SOI tables, explicitly note the exclusion of non-filers so readers understand that the filer share is not a direct measure of the entire adult population’s incomes SOI Publication 1304.

A practical checklist for publishing a reliable percentage

Minimum items to include: data year, reporting unit (household or filer), inflation adjustment, dataset and table name, and a one-line limitation describing the biggest exclusion such as non-filers ACS Table B19001.

Provide a source link to the exact table you used and, where appropriate, report the margin of error for survey estimates. If you used microdata, share your code or a reproducible method so others can verify your calculation IPUMS USA.

Suggested limitation sentence: “This percentage is for the reporting unit named above for the year specified and excludes groups noted in the source table, including non-filers when using IRS SOI data.” Include that sentence verbatim when space allows.

Summary and takeaways

Headline takeaways: the share of Americans who “make over $150,000” depends on whether you count households, tax filers, or individuals; it also depends on the data year and whether dollars are inflation-adjusted. Name those choices in your headline or lede so readers understand what the percentage represents Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023.

Use Census/ACS household tables for headline household percentages, IRS SOI tables for filer-level counts, and IPUMS microdata for custom individual or subgroup definitions. Always link to the exact table and add one clear limitation sentence to prevent misinterpretation SOI Publication 1304.

For readers concerned about middle class growth, pick the unit and dataset that answer your question, report the year, and explain what the number does and does not show.