December 16, 1997

Pulling Apart:
A State-by-State Analysis of Income Trends

ALASKA

Inequality has remained level in Alaska for nearly two decades. This can be observed by ranking all Alaska families with children according to their income level, dividing them into five groups (or fifths) of equal size, and calculating the average income of each fifth of families. This analysis shows by the mid-1990s:

 

The Long-Term Trend

Since the late 1970s, income inequality has remained high in Alaska.

 

The Recent Trend

Over the past decade, income inequality has remained about the same in Alaska. The average incomes of both the richest fifth of families and poor families have not changed significantly since the mid-1980s.


End Notes

1. The direction of this change was not statistically significant at the 95 percent level of confidence.