Income distribution has long been a fundamental indicator of economic health and social equity. Understanding how income varies across different regions and demographic groups can shed light on larger economic patterns and reveal areas where intervention might be needed. The U.S. Census Bureau collects extensive data on income, which allows for a detailed analysis of income distribution across different states, counties, and demographic groups.
The dataset for this project is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates. The specific dataset is titled “Household Income in the Past 12 Months (In 2023 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)” and can be accessed directly via the following link: The dataset for this project is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates. The specific dataset is titled “Household Income in the Past 12 Months (In 2023 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)” and can be accessed directly via the following link: Income Data - Census Bureau. This dataset includes various attributes related to household income, demographics, and geographical distribution across the U.S.Income Data - Census Bureau. This dataset includes various attributes related to household income, demographics, and geographical distribution across the U.S.
The dataset is relatively clean but still requires some aggregation and organization to suit the project goals. The primary data manipulation tasks include: Calculate the total percentage of households within specific income ranges (e.g., low, middle, and high-income categories) for each location; Filter data to focus on specific regions or demographic groups if needed (e.g., high-income states vs. low-income states, income by race); Calculate derived metrics, such as the income disparity ratio (e.g., top 10% vs. bottom 10%) or income distribution across different demographics.
The main goal is to create a graphical representation of income distribution across the United States.