Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Income and health in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts
Although the United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, health disparities remain prevalent across the country. These disparities take form in various ways but most commonly involve geography, race and ethnicity, and wealth or income inequality. As the wealth gap in the United States continues to grow the link between income and health has become a more relevant and pressing issue. Although the poverty rate in the U.S. has generally decreased over the last decade, around 11 percent of people living in the United States lived below the national poverty line in 2023. Those with lower incomes or who are living in poverty are at higher risk for chronic diseases, mental illness, and mortality, and experience lower rates of health insurance and access to medical care than wealthier individuals. A survey of U.S. adults from 2022 found that while only 14 percent of those with an annual income of 100,000 U.S. dollars or more rated their physical or emotional wellbeing as fair or poor, around 41 percent of those with an annual income of less than 40,000 U.S. dollars felt their physical or emotional wellbeing was fair or poor. The reasons why people with lower incomes experience worse health outcomes are multifaceted and include behavioral and environmental factors as well as institutional and clinical influences.
