Reply #98: No millions of people do NOT make >200k. Sorry but this is NOT supported by the facts.

[ddeclue]

No I haven't proved your argument.

Firstly those numbers are HOUSEHOLD not individual incomes so your guy is doing very well indeed because most households are two income households these days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affluence_in_the_United_States

The 2005 economic survey revealed the income distribution for households and individuals whereby the top 5% of individuals had six figure incomes (exceeding $100,000) and the top 10% of individuals had incomes exceeding $75,000.<4>

According to INDIVIDUAL incomes your guy is in better than the 95 percentile.

Secondly:

Here's a more finely broken down set of HOUSEHOLD income numbers for you:

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States

Income range Households
(thousands) Percent
$0 to $25,000 (28.22%)
Under $2,500 2,566 2.26%
$2,500 to $4,999 1,389 1.22%
$5,000 to $7,499 2,490 2.20%
$7,500 to $9,999 3,360 2.96%
$10,000 to $12,499 4,013 3.54%
$12,500 to $14,999 3,543 3.13%
$15,000 to $17,499 3,760 3.32%
$17,500 to $19,999 3,438 3.03%
$20,000 to $22,499 4,061 3.58%
$22,500 to $24,999 3,375 2.98%
$25,000 to $50,000 (26.65%)
$25,000 to $27,499 3,938 3.48%
$27,500 to $29,999 2,889 2.55%
$30,000 to $32,499 3,921 3.46%
$32,500 to $34,999 2,727 2.41%
$35,000 to $37,499 3,360 2.96%
$37,500 to $39,999 2,633 2.32%
$40,000 to $42,499 3,378 2.98%
$42,500 to $44,999 2,294 2.02%
$45,000 to $47,499 2,700 2.38%
$47,500 to $49,999 2,371 2.09%
$50,000 to $75,000 (18.27%)
$50,000 to $52,499 3,071 2.71%
$52,500 to $54,999 2,006 1.77%
$55,000 to $57,499 2,420 2.13%
$57,500 to $59,999 1,786 1.57%
$60,000 to $62,499 2,566 2.26%
$62,500 to $64,999 1,774 1.56%
$65,000 to $67,499 2,101 1.85%
$67,500 to $69,999 1,637 1.44%
$70,000 to $72,499 1,978 1.74%
$72,500 to $74,999 1,413 1.24%
$75,000 to $100,000 (10.93%)
$75,000 to $77,499 1,802 1.59%
$77,500 to $79,999 1,264 1.11%
$80,000 to $82,499 1,673 1.47%
$82,500 to $84,999 1,219 1.07%
$85,000 to $87,499 1,418 1.25%
$87,500 to $89,999 984 0.86%
$90,000 to $92,499 1,282 1.13%
$92,500 to $94,999 917 0.81%
$95,000 to $97,499 1,023 0.90%
$97,500 to $99,999 846 0.74%
$100,000 or more (15.73%)
$100,000 to $149,999 11,194 9.89%
$150,000 to $199,999 3,595 3.17%
$200,000 to $249,999 1,325 1.17%
$250,000 and above 1,699 1.50%


Interpolating the $100-$150k bracket linearly gives:

9.89% x (1-0.4) + 3.17% + 1.17% + 1.5% =11.774% of HOUSEHOLDS make more than $120k - assuming that we can linearly interpolate in the $100k to $150k bracket - that's not really very likely to be true however - in reality the numbers go down as you go up so it could well be more like 10%.

Your straw man is well above the median household income much less the individual income - he's in the 90th percentile of HOUSEHOLDS and the 95th percentile of INDIVIDUALS.

Finally re: MILLIONS of people making >$250k.. not really. Maybe a million.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affluence_in_the_United_States

The top 1.5% of households had incomes exceeding $250,000 with 146,000 households, the top 0.12%, having incomes exceeding $1,600,000 annually.

Q.E.D.