Income Definitions
Poverty Status - Alternative and Household Income - Alternative are currently available for 2005 and 2006 only. Note that 2005 data show poverty status and income based on the 2004 reference period; 2006 data show poverty status and income based on the 2005 reference period.
For Poverty Status - Alternative, the income definition is applied to the family income.
For Household Income - Alternative, the income definition is applied to the household income.
The income format for Household Income - Alternative is the format selected in section 6, Customized Formatting.
You may select the official income (Money Income), any of three alternatives, or you may customize your own definition from the 36 possible components of income.
The 36 income components are (the number corresponds to the number shown in the table footnote when you customize your own income definition):
Earnings (wages, salaries, and self-employment income)
Interest income
Dividend income
Rents, royalties, estate, and trust income
Non-government retirement pensions and annuities
Non-government survivor pensions and annuities
Non-government disability pensions and annuities
Realized capital gains (losses)
Social Security
Unemployment compensation
Workers' compensation
Veterans' payments other than pensions
Government retirement pensions and annuities
Government survivor pensions and annuities
Government disability pensions and annuities
Public assistance (includes TANF and other cash welfare
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Veterans' pensions
Federal earned income credit
Federal income taxes after refundable credits except EIC (deducted from income)
State income taxes after all refundable credits (deducted from income)
Payroll taxes (FICA and other mandatory deductions) (deducted from income)
Property taxes on owner-occupied housing (deducted from income)
Government educational assistance
Non-government educational assistance
Food Stamps
Free, reduced-price and regular-price school lunches
Low-income energy assistance
Public housing subsidy
Child Support
Alimony
Regular contributions from persons not living in the household
Money income not elsewhere classified
Imputed return to home equity on owner-occupied housing
Medical expenses out-of-pocket (deducted from income)
Work-related expenses excluding child care (deducted from income)
The pre-defined income definitions are:
Money Income (the official definition of income)
Consists of the following 23 income components:
1. Earnings (wages, salaries, and self-employment income)
2. Interest income
3. Dividend income
4. Rents, royalties, estate, and trust income
5. Non-government retirement pensions and annuities
6. Non-government survivor pensions and annuities
7. Non-government disability pensions and annuities
9. Social Security
10. Unemployment compensation
11. Workers' compensation
12. Veterans' payments other than pensions
13. Government retirement pensions and annuities
14. Government survivor pensions and annuities
15. Government disability pensions and annuities
16. Public assistance (includes TANF and other cash welfare
17. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
18. Veterans' pensions
24. Government educational assistance
25. Non-government educational assistance
30. Child Support
31. Alimony
32. Regular contributions from persons not living in the household
33. Money income not elsewhere classifiedMarket Income
Consists of the following 15 income components:
1. Earnings (wages, salaries, and self-employment income)
2. Interest income
3. Dividend income
4. Rents, royalties, estate, and trust income
5. Non-government retirement pensions and annuities
6. Non-government survivor pensions and annuities
7. Non-government disability pensions and annuities
8. Realized capital gains (losses)
25. Non-government educational assistance
30. Child Support
31. Alimony
32. Regular contributions from persons not living in the household
33. Money income not elsewhere classified
34. Imputed return to home equity on owner-occupied housing
36. Work-related expenses excluding child care (deducted from income)
Post-Social Insurance Income
Consists of 23 income components, all the Market Income components AND the following:
9. Social Security
10. Unemployment compensation
11. Workers' compensation
12. Veterans' payments other than pensions
13. Government retirement pensions and annuities
14. Government survivor pensions and annuities
15. Government disability pensions and annuities
24. Government educational assistance
Disposable Income
Consists of 34 income components, all the Post-Social Insurance Income components AND the following:
16. Public assistance (includes TANF and other cash welfare)
17. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
18. Veterans' pensions
19. Federal earned income credit
20. Federal income taxes after refundable credits except EIC (deducted from income)
21. State income taxes after all refundable credits (deducted from income)
22. Payroll taxes (FICA and other mandatory deductions) (deducted from income)
23. Property taxes on owner-occupied housing (deducted from income)
26. Food Stamps
27. Free, reduced-price and regular-price school lunches
29. Public housing subsidy
or all income components EXCEPT the following:
28. Low-income energy assistance
35. Medical expenses out-of-pocket (deducted from income)