Figure B
The inequality tax cost middle-class families $30,676 in 2022: Difference between household actual income and income if it had grown at average rate since 1979
| Middle quintile | Projected middle quintile | |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | $76,359 | $76,359 |
| 1980 | $73,084 | $73,265 |
| 1981 | $72,009 | $72,847 |
| 1982 | $70,253 | $71,887 |
| 1983 | $68,892 | $72,571 |
| 1984 | $73,652 | $76,841 |
| 1985 | $73,902 | $78,062 |
| 1986 | $75,616 | $83,877 |
| 1987 | $75,123 | $81,614 |
| 1988 | $76,571 | $85,499 |
| 1989 | $77,104 | $85,892 |
| 1990 | $76,945 | $84,925 |
| 1991 | $74,993 | $82,474 |
| 1992 | $74,910 | $84,442 |
| 1993 | $74,933 | $84,598 |
| 1994 | $75,761 | $85,748 |
| 1995 | $77,987 | $89,074 |
| 1996 | $78,595 | $91,472 |
| 1997 | $80,151 | $95,544 |
| 1998 | $82,350 | $100,423 |
| 1999 | $84,222 | $105,315 |
| 2000 | $83,619 | $107,294 |
| 2001 | $83,984 | $100,850 |
| 2002 | $81,621 | $96,355 |
| 2003 | $81,072 | $97,947 |
| 2004 | $84,334 | $103,347 |
| 2005 | $85,511 | $108,805 |
| 2006 | $86,095 | $112,433 |
| 2007 | $89,161 | $115,276 |
| 2008 | $85,277 | $106,618 |
| 2009 | $81,538 | $98,907 |
| 2010 | $80,161 | $100,575 |
| 2011 | $80,135 | $100,290 |
| 2012 | $80,457 | $105,100 |
| 2013 | $82,258 | $104,318 |
| 2014 | $84,508 | $108,298 |
| 2015 | $87,906 | $112,389 |
| 2016 | $88,709 | $111,899 |
| 2017 | $90,246 | $115,858 |
| 2018 | $91,759 | $118,251 |
| 2019 | $95,883 | $121,160 |
| 2020 | $94,056 | $121,991 |
| 2021 | $94,830 | $132,846 |
| 2022 | $96,335 | $127,011 |
Notes: Average market incomes for non-elderly households ranked by pre-tax, pre-transfer income deflated to 2025$ using the extended chained CPI-U. The average is shown for 40th–60th percentile households as it grew historically and what it would be had it grown at the rate of overall average household income.
Source: Author's analysis of Congressional Budget Office, "The Distribution of Household Income, 2022," 2026.
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