The U.S. Census Bureau today issued revised estimates for alternative income and poverty measures for 2001 and 2002. The original numbers were published in Income in the United States: 2002 and Poverty in the United States: 2002, released last Sept. 26.

     There were no changes made to the official poverty and money income estimates.

     In the Income in the United States: 2002 report, three of four alternative income definitions did not change real median household income between 2001 and 2002. The fourth, money income less taxes, resulted in a real 0.8 percent decline. However, the revised tabulations show that real median household income declined between 0.7 percent and 1.1 percent for three of the four alternative income definitions. Between 2001 and 2002, real median money income declined 1.1 percent.

     These changes were made as a result of changes the Census Bureau made to the Current Population Survey tax model: incorporating an additional child tax credit for 2001 and 2002; treating 2001 tax changes as a rate reduction credit instead of a tax rebate; and correcting a rounding error in the marginal tax rates used in 2001.

     There were only very minor changes made to the alternative poverty estimates contained in the Poverty in the United States: 2002 report. These changes are reflected in the revised tabulations.

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