Household Income Rises In Morris County, New Census Data Shows

Over the past year, according to newly released census data, median income among Morris County households increased.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the median household income in Morris County among all races increased, from $100,579 in 2014 to $101,661 in 2015. The earnings among households in Morris County has been steadily rising since 2011, when median household income was $91,332.

The median household income in the whole country rose 5.2% from 2014, increasing to $56,516 in 2015. The highest income increase across all states was in Montana, where the median income rose 6.8 percent. The state with the lowest median income is Mississippi, at $40,593, a figure that is statistically unchanged from 2014's number.

"The American Community Survey allows us to track incremental changes across our nation on how Americans live and work, year­-to­-year," Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson said in a statement. "It helps people, businesses and governments in all of our states and local communities better understand the needs of their populations, the markets in which they operate and the challenges and opportunities they face."

According to the latest survey, there has been no increase in poverty rates over the past year. In fact, almost half of all states saw a decrease in poverty between 2014 and 2015. Poverty rates in 2015 ranged from a low of 8.2 percent in New Hampshire to a high of 22.0 percent in Mississippi, according to survey numbers, with some of the highest rates found in Alabama, Arkansas, and Kentucky.

Additional reporting by Kara Seymour.

Image via Philip Taylor, flickr, used under Creative Commons.