Economy

For first time since the recession, incomes soared in 2015, while poverty tumbled

By Joseph Lawler
Published September 13, 2016 2:06pm ET
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For first time since the recession, incomes soared in 2015, while poverty tumbled
Many researchers see a flaw in the official income and poverty rate, namely that it only counts cash income and excludes some of the in-kind government benefits that have grown in recent years, such as food stamps. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green) | M. Spencer Green

U.S. incomes rose sharply and poverty declined in 2015, according to new government figures released Tuesday.

Median household income rose 5.2 percent to $53,657, the Census Bureau reported. That was the first inflation-adjusted increase in median incomes since 2007, and the largest one-year jump in income on record.

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Census Food Stamps Joseph Lawler Minusextra Money Poverty