Sacramento households lost income faster than their counterparts elsewhere in the state during the past five years, largely due to the double whammy of a deep housing bust and a slew of government cuts, new census figures show.
Before the recession started five years ago, Sacramento median household income - the middle income in a ranked list - had climbed to within $250 of the statewide figure. Last year, local median household income lagged the state median by $2,136.
Adjusting for inflation, Sacramento household incomes fell about 15 percent from 2007 to 2011, compared to an 11 percent drop statewide.
The region's median household incomes also fell behind the median for the Los Angeles metro during the last five years.
None of the state's metros have escaped the downturn's impact, though some have done worse than others. Among the 10 largest metros in the state, Fresno saw the largest proportional income drop, followed by Riverside and Sacramento.
This chart shows median household incomes over the last five years, adjusted for inflation, for the 10 largest metro areas in California.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
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