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According to a January 2021 survey of US adults from Pew, roughly a third of middle-income respondents said that their and their family's financial circumstances were actually better than they were the year before. Almost half of middle-income respondents said their finances were about the same.
According to Federal Reserve Data, the 50%-90% percentile of Americans saw their collective wealth dip a bit in the first quarter of 2020 to about $31 trillion — but it grew in the second quarter, and has continued growing since. As of the fourth quarter of 2021, that group held about $39 trillion.
According to a recent Gallup survey, 39% of those considered middle income by Gallup — those with an annual household income of $40,000 to $99,999 — said their own financial situation is improving. Although that percentage is higher than those considered lower income, this is also a smaller share than in 2021 when 48% of middle income respondents reported this.
Middle- and lower-income Americans are also feeling the impact of rising prices and inflation on their wallets, according to a Gallup poll.