U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Spotlight on Statistics
Page 1
MAY 2018
Race, Economics, And Social Status
Reginald A. Noël
Social and economic status of an individual or group can be measured as a blend of wealth, income, occupation, and
education. Other contributors to social and economic status include race, ethnicity, home ownership, family size,
family types, and even types of foods purchased. The combination of social and economic status can reveal a group or
individual's unequal access to resources, privilege, power, and control in a society. This Spotlight on Statistics
examines Consumer Expenditure Survey data to explore the patterns of social and economic factors by race and
ethnicity.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Spotlight on Statistics
Page 2
Household income varies widely by race and ethnicity
Researchers and the public have given a lot of attention to social and economic inequality over the past several years.
Many factors have widened the gap between those with high and low income in the United States. Such increases in
income inequality raise social, political, and economic concerns.
Over the 2014–16 period, the average household pretax income was $70,448. Pretax income varied by race and
ethnicity, as the average was highest for Asians with $93,390 and lowest for Blacks or African Americans with
$48,871. The gap between those in the lowest 10 percent of income and those in the highest 10 percent of income was
the widest for Asians and smallest for Hispanics and Blacks or African Americans.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Spotlight on Statistics
Page 3
Educational attainment and social outcomes
Educational attainment can have a strong impact on social outcomes, including child mortality, fertility, and income
distribution. In addition, studies show that college educated people were more likely to stay married compared to
those with less education, thus providing the opportunity for two people to pool their incomes, resources, and social
capital. Over the 2014–16 period, approxim