Per person income?

It's confusing for me because I count all trees and plants in my nursery of 25 years as persons... But I'm thinking maybe $1 per person per year, but probably $1.10 if you account for inflation.

 

People *always* tell the truth in polls, especially anonymous polls.......leading to their peerless reputation for accuracy.

Gross income?
Net income?
Adjusted gross income?
Disclosed income?

 

Most everyone is gross unless you are a business owner who claims no wage.
If you earn 50-150k you do get a large slice off the top before you even get a check though.

The us is down to 50% of the population having any job,
in combination with record low numbers of kids/teens and record high numbers of those in advanced age working full time.

Bobs poll doesn’t get into the gritty of many people’s experiences that one person in a household may only make ~$22k, another may be unemployed and another might be doing okish. (Fewer traditional households these days, even amongst the elderly)

we are in a bifurcated economy where the median income values no longer mean much, this state has some counties with very low mode incomes while the median may still appear to be for example $37k

this chart is out of date for example and makes things actually look better than they are because of the number of rural home owners that saturate entire counties down towards the bottom.

 

The problem with the poll as I see it is it doesn't reflect income potential but rather income realized. Nor take into account expenses that must be covered by that income for one person may not be for another.

An example. say someone has a 401k and must take a RMD but could take twice that.They have stocks they bought in the 1960s that has appreciated and split and created stock in multiple other corporations. They haven't touched it in all that time. They own two houses, all paid for. 2 cars, paid for. They have health insurance that is subsidized in part by some prior employment. Some or all of the above.

Each of those represents the possibility of income they could realize, but elect not to. Or a substitute for income by something being provided by some other means..

A bit different from the person working two jobs with the same income. He may answer the question the same as this but their life style is liable to be different.

I think the question should be:

Income after rent/mortgage, food, car expenses, insurance, medical insurance.

What does the person have to spend at McDonalds? Or on TV service? Or even heat and a/c?

 

Yes, this is why one person's finances compared to another person's finances isn't allways apples to apples.

I think housing is the main difference. If rent in the area averages around $2,000 per bedroom (2 bedroom = $4,000, 3 bed = $6,000, etc.) then a person paying that compared to someone who got a mortgage on a $100,000 foreclosed 3-bedroom house in the 2008 financial crisis in the same area are in two completely different financial situations.

Also, the push by subscription service providers is killing some of the free services. The local OTA TV repeater service was decommissioned here in my valley even though we still get taxed for it. Canada decommissioned Weatheradio in the entire country, so you have to pay for an internet plan in order to get weather alerts there now.

 

The house across from my mom raised ranch, 1/2 acre, mid 70’s 4 bed with carpeted basement up until recently had about a dozen Hmong folks living there 16-80 years old. They in my mind were different households but pooled together to afford it like roommates.

One by one they started moving out then the place was foreclosed on 2 years ago and sold to an abscentee investor and has sat to rot ever since.

 

Nice, one word to suggest both 'absentee' and 'abscond'.

 

I've seen over 20 some Hispanic guys living in a 40ft trailer with no water or electricity out in the middle of a field. The floor was lined with blankets and pillows.

My parents lived in tents and teepees until they started a family.

I have friends who own several nice houses, and did so on a single income. I know people with the same kind of job that can barely make their rental payments.

 

Maybe worth noting, in US dollars, at current exchange rates.

 

One of the wonderful things about being in the military is that you get to watch how a large group of people who make pretty much the same paychecks - manage their finances.
I knew people who, LITERALLY qualified for food stamps on my first boat, living moderately comfortable lives - and I saw people living beyond their means - and others who went on to eventually retire wealthy after they got out.

32 years in and out of the canoe club pretty much has vaccinated me (effectively! not like some vaccines!!)
against socialism........for good and all.

 

... also ...
IRS (U.S. Congress) definition of income?
Washington State Department of Revenue (state Legislature) definition of income** ?
Wealth-tax advocates' definition of income, which includes unrealized gains?

** Washington State has long been a "no income tax" state. But a few years ago imposed a capital gains tax on certain items by declaring them to be something different than income, in a twist approved by the state Supreme Court. And this year adopted an income tax on higher earners (effective in 2028) that also doesn't align with IRS definitions of income. Intense litigation is expected on this new law.

There are also various degrees of home made pizza.

 

I can get two unhealthy “meals” out of a $4 on sale frozen pizza. I used to feed my now over 14 year old dog things he loved until he got congestive heart failure, advanced stages. I never knew much about it, Salt and fats are out now. I better watch it too. That’s the $$$$ spending, but what’s the choice, euthanize him? No way. Boston Terrier, he walks with a prance still.

 

What’s amusing is autocorrect ignored it.

normally a minor spelling error gets autocorrected into a confusing and completely different word with a different starting letter.

I personally would like to disable autocorrect as my misspellings are usually amusing and comprehensible.
The stuff autocorrect creates is neither.

 

What I'm always amazed at is how a bunch of prius nerds (self included) can make even a simple OP question become super complicated by overanalyzing the crap out of it.............

 

Thank you.

 

I chalk it up to having seen too much of what happens when people pretend complicated things are simple.