Income Distribution
Sources of Income for Older Persons in 2004
Research Report
Ke Bin Wu, AARP Public Policy Institute
November 2006
Social Security, pensions and personal savings, and earnings constitute three of the four pillars of retirement income security (the fourth being health insurance). Supplemental Security Income (SSI), veterans’ benefits and other government transfers are also important income sources.
Using U.S. Census data about 2004 income sources, this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest finds that 34.1 million age 65+ Americans (96.9 percent of this age group) had a mean personal income of $23,811 and a median personal income of $15,199. The analysis also delineates the distribution of each income source by gender, race and personal income level, and shows the number of age 65+ individuals with various income sources, and the mean and median of each relevant income source.
The information about personal income sources for calendar year 2004 used in preparing this report was provided by the March 2005 Current Population Survey (CPS) of the U.S. Bureau of the Census. (6 pages)
Pub ID: DD148