The median money income of families in the United States was $9,870 in 1970, according to estimates recently released by the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce. This was about $440, or 4.6 percent higher than the 1969 figure of $9,430. However, consumer prices rose during the year and, in terms of constant dollars, median family income in 1970 was about the same as in 1969.¹

In 1970, the median income of families of Negroes and other races was $6,520; a gain of $330 or 5.3 percent over the median in 1969. This rate of increase was not significantly different from the rate for all families. The median income of families of Negroes and other races was 64 percent of the median for white families ($10,240) in 1970, not significantly different from that of 1969.

Of the 51.9 million families in the United States 8.9 percent received incomes below $3,000 in 1970. Families with incomes between $3,000 and $5,000 accounted for 5.3 million families; and another 6.1 million, or 11.8 percent had incomes between $5,000 and $7,000; 10.3 million families had incomes between $7,000 and $10,000. The number of families with incomes of $10,000 or more increased from 23.6 million families or 46.9 percent in 1969 to 25.5 million families or 49.1 percent in 1970.

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¹ See Monthly Labor Review, April 1971, U.S. Department of Labor, table 24, page 105.