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 richest 20 percent of families
with children had average incomes 9 times as large as the
poorest 20 percent of families.
- The richest 20 percent of families
with children had average incomes 2.5 times as large as
the middle 20 percent of families.
The Long-Term Trend
Since the late 1970s, income inequality has
remained high in Alaska.
- The average income of the poorest
fifth of families increased by $1,700 between the late
1970s and the mid-1990s, from $13,170 to $14,870.
- The average income of the middle fifth
of families increased by $1,130 between the late 1970s
and the mid-1990s, from $51,360 to $52,490.(1)
- The average income of the richest
fifth of families increased by $5,090 between the late
1970s and the mid-1990s, from $123,940 to $129,030.1
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.
- The average income of the poorest
fifth of families increased by $500 between the mid-1980s
and the mid-1990s, from $14,370 to $14,870.1
- The average income of the middle fifth
of families increased by $2,740 between the mid-1980s and
the mid-1990s, from $49,750 to $52,490.
- The average income of the richest
fifth of families increased by $1,670 between the
mid-1980s and the mid-1990s, from $127,360 to $129,030.1
End Notes
1. The direction of this change was not
statistically significant at the 95 percent level of confidence.