By this point, almost three-quarters of Americans (72%) believe a person has moved into the rich category, but one in five (19%) still think they are neither rich nor poor.ģ7% tax rate ($500,001) The highest rate of income tax kicks in once someone is earning $500,001. A majority of people still think someone earning this much is neither rich nor poor, but the proportion who consider them poor has dropped off to just 3%, while the number who believe them rich has risen to 36%.ģ2% tax rate ($157,501) Now the majority of Americans (63%) consider someone earning this much to be rich, with only one in four (27%) still believing them to be neither rich nor poor.ģ5% tax rate ($200,001) The next tax bracket up takes effect once someone starts earning $200,001. One in five (18%) still believe them to be poor, while 10% now consider them rich.Ģ4% tax rate ($82,501) At $82,501 a person qualifies for the 24% tax rate. Most Americans (61%) consider earning this amount makes them neither rich nor poor. Three in ten (28%) would still believe them to be poor.Ģ2% tax rate ($38,701) The 22% tax bracket doesn’t kick into until someone is earning at least $38,701 a year. The majority of Americans (54%) consider someone earning this much each year to be “neither rich nor poor”.
#Neyo do you year full#
Minimum wage ($15,080): Assuming that they worked a 40 hour week, a person working full time on the minimum wage would make $15,080 a year and be considered poor by two thirds (68%) of Americans, and neither rich nor poor by a further 18%.Īverage income ($31,099): According to the US Census Bureau, the median annual personal income in the US in 2016 was $31,099. Someone earning this much is considered poor by close to eight in ten Americans (79%). Similarly, given that the aim of minimum wage legislation is to guarantee a minimum acceptable living standard, we have also examined how Americans see both the minimum wage rate and the average income.ġ2% tax rate ($9,526) Once someone earns $9,526 a year they become eligible for the 12% rate of income tax. Income milestones and tax thresholdsĪs perceptions of rich and poor could be so important in informing tax policy, we also tested attitudes to incomes at the entry point of each federal income tax bracket. At $100,000 opinion has tipped much more strongly towards “rich” at 56%, with only one in three (34%) believing someone with an income this high to be “neither rich nor poor”.
![neyo do you year neyo do you year](https://pics.me.me/thumb_i-know-what-we-have-is-dead-and-gone-too-46697445.png)
People are divided on whether a person on $90,000 a year is “neither rich nor poor” (46%) or “rich” (44%). The level of income at which most Americans begin to consider someone rich clearly rests between $90,000-$100,000 dollars. One in three (32%) still consider them poor, however, and only 6% think that they are rich. Half of the population (50%) believe someone on $30,000 a year is “neither rich nor poor”.
![neyo do you year neyo do you year](http://whale.to/c/neyo.h4.jpg)
The point at which most Americans think you’ve escaped being poor comes at around $30,000. YouGov put a range of income levels to the public and asked whether or not a person making that much money was rich, poor or neither. How much money do you need to earn a year to be considered rich? And how little must someone earn to be considered poor? Understanding where the public think that “rich” and “poor” lie on the income scale has an obvious importance for helping politicians formulate policies that they want to impact higher and lower earners differently: for instance, where to set income tax brackets, or at what point someone should no longer be eligible for certain welfare programs.īut it can also tell us a lot about society, which is why YouGov has explored the public’s views on where the lines for rich and poor lie. whether or not someone is in, say, the top 5% of earners - rather than the specific amount being made, which doesn't really match the way regular people think about the subject. "Rich" and "poor" are universally understood concepts, but how much (or little) money do you actually have to be earning to fall under either category? Technical definitions of affluence or poverty often focus on relative income - i.e. The public puts the figure somewhere between $90,000 and $100,000