Washington: A snapshot released by the US Census Bureau last week reveals that the median household income for Indian-Americans has crossed the $100,000 per annum milestone, the highest for any ethnic group, including white, native-born Americans.
In fact, the ground-breaking figure was crossed almost two years ago in 2013 but came to light only recently when the US Census Bureau put it out as part of the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month which is celebrated in May. According to the bureau, the median income of households headed by the Asian population in 2013 was $72,472, much higher then than national median income of around $51,000.
Even among Asian-Americans, Indian-Americans racked it up at $100,547, almost double the national median income, and significantly more than even white, non-Hispanic Americans whose median income is approximately $57,000. Indian-Americans also earn more than other South Asian groups such as Pakistani-Americans ($63,000) and Bangladeshi-Americans ($51,000).
In contrast to the high-earning groups, the median income of Black-American households was $33,321 and that of Hispanic households was $39,005.
Though the census report did not address the religious angle, other surveys have long indicated that Jewish-Americans come closest to Indian-Americans in terms of income and education. According to a US Religious Landscape Study by Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in 2008, 46% of Jews reported family incomes of over $100,000 compared to 19% of all Americans, with the next highest group being Hindus at 43%.
And while 27% of Americans have had college or postgraduate education, 59% of American Jews have it, the second highest of any religious group after American Hindus.
