The gap between rich and poor in Wisconsin is widening while income growth for all state residents continues to lag the rest of the nation.
A report released today by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy and the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families showed that real incomes for the upper fifth of families in the state have grown 48 percent to $110,653 since the early 1980s. That compares to a 59 percent increase nationally over the same 20-year period.
But at the other end of the spectrum, the bottom fifth of Wisconsin families experienced just a 14 percent income growth over the past two decades. That compares to a 19 percent increase nationally.
….The Center on Wisconsin Strategy is a research and policy institute based at UW-Madison dedicated to improving economic performance and living standards in the state.