Sociology 441: Stratification

Income

• Salaries, wages, and payments received for work done (earnings).
• Welfare payments: for instance, AFDC/TANF government payments to single mothers.
• Social security.
• Pensions.
• Child support payments and alimony.
• Dividends on stocks and bonds you own.
• Rents on an apartment house you own.

Income sometimes (whenever the data are available) includes:

• Food stamps.
• The value of Medicaid/Medicare insurance.
• Health insurance paid for you by your employer.
• Increases in value of stocks and property you own ("capital gains").
• Gifts and support payments from parents, relatives, boyfriends, etc.

See trends of average incomes, and income inequality.