The Average American: Then and Now

Marketers often look at demographics (age, income, education, etc.) to better understand audience characteristics and to plan marketing strategies. A recent story in Forbes about the average American in 1967 and the average American today has some interesting statistics that illustrate how much things have changed in almost 40 years.

U.S. Population 1967: 200,000,000
U.S. Population 2006: 300,000,000

Median Household Income 2006: $46,325 (up 32% from 1967 when adjusted for inflation).
Average Household Net Worth: $465,970 (up 83% from 1967 when adjusted for inflation).

In spite of some impressive increases over this time frame, the story quotes a Parade Magazine survey that shows 48% of Americans believe they are worse off than their parents.

More here.