Income Inequality

San Bernardino Income Inequality Among Lowest in the State

Income inequality, or the gap between the rich and the poor, has been increasing in the United States since the 1980s and is higher than most industrialized countries. High income inequality is associated with poorer public health, reduced socioeconomic mobility, and reduced feelings of well-being among those at the low end of the income distribution.1 This indicator measures the level of income inequality among households in San Bernardino County using the Gini Index. It also presents data on median income by race and ethnicity.

Income Inequality

How is San Bernardino County Doing?

Gini Index Scale

Gini Index results range between zero (0) and one (1). A value of zero indicates complete equality, where all households have equal income. A value of one indicates complete inequality, where only one household has any income.

GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL

In 2019, San Bernardino County’s Gini Index score was 0.434, compared to 0.487 in California and 0.481 nationwide. Among the 41 California counties with populations of 65,000 or more, San Bernardino County has less income inequality than all but three counties (Kern, Solano, and Stanislaus). In comparison to selected peer and neighboring counties, San Bernardino County has the least income inequality.

LESS INCOME INEQUALITY IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY THAN THE STATE AND NATION

County Comparison of the Gini Index of Income Inequality, 2019
1Reeves R. (2018). Restoring middle-class incomes: redistribution won’t do. Brookings Institute (www.brookings.com) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (https://data.oecd.org/inequality/income-inequality.htm) Pickett KE, Wilkinson, RG. (2015). Income inequality and health: A causal review. Social Science & Medicine. Vol.128 Oishi S, Kushlev K, et. al. (2018). Progressive Taxation, Income Inequality, and Happiness. American Psychologist, Vol.73(2) Russell Sage Foundation. (2016). What we know about income inequality and social mobility in the United States (www.russellsage.org)