Wealth
Wealth, or net worth, is a key determinant of living standards for American families. Liquid assets help families cope with cash emergencies. Tangible assets like cars, homes, and computers provide people with opportunities and allow them to participate in work, school and community life. Even assets like retirement plans make it easier to make investments in education or start a business. Given wealth’s importance, wide and growing wealth inequalities in many ways surpass rising inequality in wages and income.
Net worth
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Average household net worth, financial assets, and tangible assets, 1965–2012 (2011 dollars)
Figure 6A in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Distribution of income compared with distribution of wealth, 2010
Table 6.1 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Change in wealth groups' shares of total wealth, 1962–2010
Table 6.2 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Change in average wealth, by wealth group, 1962–2010 (thousands of 2010 dollars)
Table 6.3 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Share of total household wealth growth accruing to various wealth groups, 1983–2010
Figure 6B in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Ratio of average top 1% household wealth to median wealth, 1962–2010
Figure 6C in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Average annual net worth of "Forbes 400" wealthiest individuals, 1982–2011 (billions of 2011 dollars)
Figure 6D in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Share of households with low net worth, 1962–2010 (2010 dollars)
Table 6.4 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Median household wealth, and share of households with zero or negative wealth, by race and ethnicity, 1983–2010
Table 6.5 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Median household wealth, by race and ethnicity, 1983–2010 (2010 dollars)
Figure 6E in State of Working America 12th Edition
Assets
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Wealth groups' shares of assets, by asset type, 2010
Table 6.6 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Average household assets, by wealth group and asset type, 1962–2010 (thousands of 2010 dollars)
Table 6.7 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Average and median household assets, by race/ethnicity and asset type, 1983–2010 (thousands of 2010 dollars)
Table 6.8 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Wealth groups' shares of total household stock wealth, 1983–2010
Figure 6G in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Homeownership rate, by race and ethnicity, 1975–2011
Figure 6J in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Total homeowner equity as a share of total home values, 1969–2011
Figure 6L in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Foreclosures per 1,000 owner-occupied dwellings, 2000–2011
Figure 6M in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Enrollment in defined-benefit versus defined-contribution pension plans among workers with pension coverage, 1983 and 2010
Figure 6N in State of Working America 12th Edition
Liabilities
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Average household liabilities and assets, by wealth group, 1962–2010 (thousands of 2010 dollars)
Table 6.10 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Median household debt, by race and ethnicity, 1983–2010 (thousands of 2010 dollars)
Table 6.11 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Debt as a share of disposable income, all and by type of debt, 1946–2011
Figure 6O in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Household financial obligations as a share of household income, for renters and homeowners, 1980–2011
Table 6.13 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Household debt service as a share of household income, by income group, 1989–2010
Table 6.14 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Share of households with high debt burdens, by income group, 1989–2010
Table 6.15 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Share of households late paying bills, by income group, 1989–2010
Table 6.16 in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Consumer bankruptcies per 1,000 adults, 1989–2011
Figure 6P in State of Working America 12th Edition
Wealth of U.S. citizens compared with citizens’ wealth in peer countries
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Median wealth in 20 advanced countries, 2011 (2011 U.S. dollars)
Figure 6Q in State of Working America 12th Edition
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Median and mean wealth per adult in 20 advanced countries, 2011
Table 6.17 in State of Working America 12th Edition
