Earned income, taxes, and government assistance all contribute to the standard of living in American households.
There are many ways to understand what the standard of living looks like in the US: wages and income, government assistance — like Medicaid and unemployment insurance — poverty, household expenses, and more. This page showcases some of these measures to help answer some fundamental questions and directs you to data to understand how our standard of living is changing.
USAFacts categorizes government budget data to allocate spending appropriately, and to arrive at the estimate presented here. Spending on standard of living, most notably with unemployment insurance, spiked during the pandemic.
Government revenue and expenditures are based on data from the Office of Management and Budget, the Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Each is published annually, although due to collection times, state and local government data are not as current as federal data. Thus, when combining federal, state, and local revenues and expenditures, the most recent year for a combined number may be delayed.
Focus | Key actors | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
Income and taxes | Department of Labor, Congress | Set and enforce federal minimum wage |
Cash assistance | Department of Health and Human Services | Give block grants to fund Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) |
Non-cash assistance and services (including medical benefits) | Department of Health and Human Services | Fund childcare assistance |
Focus |
|---|
Income and taxes |
Cash assistance |
Non-cash assistance and services (including medical benefits) |