Vol. II, No. 3, May/June 2002
ONE IN SIX HOUSEHOLDS HAVE $100,000 INCOMES
The number of households with incomes of $100,000 or more is surprisingly large. According to the Bureau of the Census, more than one in eight households in 2000 had an income that high. The nation's 14.3 million affluent households are home to an average of 3.25 people, which means 46 million Americans, or one in six, live in households with incomes of $100,000 or more.
The percentage of households with incomes of $100,000 or more (in 2000 dollars) has been growing for years. In 1980, only 5.2 percent of households had an income of $100,000 or more. The figure grew to 8.7 percent in 1990 and reached 13.4 percent in 2000, after adjusting for inflation.
Here are some numbers about this income group:
Sixty-one percent of affluent householders have at least a bachelor's degree,
and more than one in four have a graduate degree. Seventy-eight percent of
households at the $100,000-or-more income level have at least two income earners
in the home. Eighty-one percent are married couples, and the 52 percent majority
are couples aged 35 to 54.
$100,000 plus income families are a prime target market for leisure destinations. They have discretionary incomes to spend. Price is less an issue than value. The often most important part of their value equation is their use of limited disposable leisure time. They are also very discriminating in their expectations and tastes. Unfortunately, many family entertainment centers fail to attract this group, as the FECs' mix and levels of design, finish and service fail to measure up to this group of consumer's tastes, wants and needs.
