Federal Reserve · Sunday, October 11, 2026
Fed survey: typical family's income up 7% since 2022, but more families are stretched by debt payments
The File desk · Oct 11, 2026, 11:07 AM UTC
Status
Confirmed. The Federal Reserve's release on the 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, for release at 10:00 a.m. Eastern on Oct. 9, 2026.
- Confirmed
Real median family income rose 7 percent from the 2022 survey to $82,200. Real mean family income fell 6 percent to $145,200.
- Confirmed
The share of families with debt payments above 40 percent of income rose from 6.5 percent to 8.6 percent, a level last seen in the 2013 survey.
Every three years the Federal Reserve asks families what they earn, own, and owe. Results of the 2025 survey came out Friday. After adjusting for inflation, the typical family's income rose 7 percent from 2022, to $82,200. Average income fell 6 percent, to $145,200, because families at the top saw declines. The typical family's net worth, what it owns minus what it owes, rose 2 percent to $215,900. Two-thirds of families own their homes, about the same as in 2022. The share of families spending more than 40 percent of income on debt payments rose from 6.5 percent to 8.6 percent, a level last seen in 2013.
The release says the figures are real, meaning adjusted for inflation. It does not state the dollar's base year. Mean net worth rose 7 percent, to $1.24 million. For homeowners, median home equity was $230,000, up from $218,900. About 65 percent of families participate in a retirement plan. The share of families that own stock, directly or indirectly, slipped from 58 percent to 56 percent. Among those owners, the median holding rose 36 percent, to $77,400. The share of families with any debt was stable at 77 percent.
The survey is run for the Fed by NORC at the University of Chicago. Families are drawn from 119 areas. The release was embargoed until 10:00 a.m. Eastern. It does not give a sample size. A breakdown by race, age, or region is in the longer report, which was not opened.
What is still unknown or disputed
- The inflation base year for the "real" figures.
- The sample size.
- Breakdowns by race, age, or region. They are in the PDF, which was not opened.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
Federal Reserve Board releases results of the 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances
Federal Reserve · October 9, 2026
Real median family income rose 7 percent between the 2022 to 2025 surveys to $82,200, while real mean family income fell 6 percent to $145,200.
https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/other20261009a.htm