MEDIAN INCOME RISES 6.8% AS POVERTY DECLINES

Americans’ incomes rose sharply last year and fewer people were living in poverty but a growing number went without health insurance for the second straight year. The numbers were skewed by reduced responses to U.S. Census survey takers during the COVID-19 pandemic but, even after accounting for that shortfall, still show healthy income gains and a decline in poverty. Median U.S. household income increased 6.8% to $68,700, the U.S. Census Bureau said Tuesday. That followed advances of 3.1% in 2016, 1.8% in 2017 and 0.9% in 2018. On an inflation-adjusted basis, median income last year was the highest on records dating to 1967.