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Economy: Household Income Indicator In 2000, median household income in DuPage County exceeded the state median by more than 45 percent.
ABOUT THE INDICATOR Household income is an important indicator of the health of the economy because it is a partial measure of the economy’s ability to pay good wages to local employees. Household income is also important because much of that income is spent locally, thereby supporting other parts of the economy. Median as used in this indicator is the middle value across a distribution of numbers. This means that, in 2000 for example, half the households in DuPage County had incomes higher than $67,887, and half had incomes that were lower. The median does not account for how much higher or lower than $67,887 these incomes were, and it is not an average. OBSERVATIONS DuPage is a relatively affluent county, with a median household income that exceeded the state median by more than 45 percent in 2000. Income growth, however, has been slightly lower in DuPage County than in the state overall. Between 1990 and 2000, DuPage County’s median household income rose 6.5 percent, compared with an increase of 11 percent for the state. TAPESTRY DuPage County’s higher than average household income can be attributed to several factors. First, residents tend to be well educated and they have the right qualifications for high-paying jobs. Second, the county is located near a major city--and a major source of good jobs. Third, the business economy within the county was thriving during the period when data was collected, which means that county residents had greater access to employment and higher wages. Income is an important indicator that affects many other indicators—both economic and non-economic. For instance, when a county has wealth, as DuPage does, arts and leisure attractions can thrive because residents have more disposable income to spend on entertainment and cultural activities. In addition, charitable donations should benefit as affluent residents are encouraged to share their wealth with the less fortunate. Unfortunately, in a higher-income community, housing costs tend to be higher, which may make it more difficult for those earning below the median to find affordable homes. HOW TO GET INVOLVED OR LEARN MORE
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