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It's tough to stay in middle America these days. As the number of low-income and wealthy people grows, the number of folks in the middle class is shrinking.  


"In 1971, according to the Pew Research Center, 61% of all adults lived in middle-income households," 

wrote William Galston for the Wall Street Journal

. "By 2011, the middle-income share had fallen to 51%, while the lower- and upper-income sectors grew. Median household income in 2011 was not significantly higher than it had been in 1989. Because upper-income households fared much better during those four decades, their share of total household income increased by 17 percentage points — to 46% from 29% — while the middle-income share fell by 17 points, to 45% from 62%."


America is seeing a larger percentage of the country's wealth heading to those at the top.


On The Daily Circuit, we examine the root causes, the social side effects and the potential to stabilize what once was a large body of Americans who had a comfortable lifestyle in the middle of the economic spectrum.  

The State of America's Middle Class in Eight Charts

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America is seeing a larger percentage of the country's wealth heading to those at the top.

America's shrinking middle class

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