Definition: Difference between the estimated distribution of household income and a perfectly equal distribution, measured between 0 and 1 (e.g., in 2016-2020, the Gini coefficient of income inequality among California households was 0.4874).
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (Aug. 2022).
Footnote: A Gini coefficient of 0 represents perfect income equality (all households earning an equal share of income), while a coefficient of 1 represents perfect income inequality (one household earning all of the income and the rest earning none). Data are displayed for geographies with populations of at least 10,000 based on 2020 estimates. These estimates are based on a survey of the population and are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. The notation S refers to estimates that have been suppressed because the margin of error was 0.02 or greater. N/A means that data are not available. Some regions listed are Census Designated Places (CDPs), such as East Los Angeles; CDPs are communities within the unincorporated part of a county. In 2010 the Census Bureau implemented new population benchmarks, so caution should be taken when comparing 2005-2009 data with later years. Because of disruptions to data collection in 2020, American Community Survey estimates for 2016-2020 did not meet statistical quality requirements and have larger than usual margins of error; see Information and Advice on 2020 Federal Data Quality and Use.