Women Driving This Generation's Household Wealth Growth

According to new analysis of Census data by the Pew Research Center, Millennial-headed households had higher income in 2017 than young adult households did at nearly any time since 1968.

Driven in part by Millennial women working more and getting paid more than young women in previous years, today's young adult households match the highest median-adjusted three-person household income on record $69,000 in 2017 dollars, for their age group, reports Pew Research Center. As well, Baby Boomer households today have record income, $77,600, while Generation X households are running even with peak earnings of same-aged households of years before (aged 38 to 53 years) at $85,800.

Women in Millennial households worked more in 2017 than their counterparts in young adult households did in 2000. Among those who were employed, 78 percent of women in Millennial households in 2017 worked at least 50 weeks of the year. In 2000, by comparison, 72 percent of women workers in households headed by 22- to 37-year-olds worked as long.

Aside from working more, women in young adult households are being paid more. The median earnings of women working full time for a full year (in households headed by people ages 22 to 37) rose from $37,100 in 2000 to $39,000 in 2017.

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