• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, January 7, 2002

Affluents Increasing Faster

According to The U.S. Affluent Market, a new market research study published by Packaged Facts and released by MarketResearch.com, 13% of U.S. households are deemed affluent, up from 5% twenty years ago. The number of affluent American households - defined as those with an income exceeding $100,000 — is growing at a much faster rate than the total number of U.S. households. There are 22% more affluent households in the United States now than there were in 1997, and in spite of the current economic slowdown, the number of affluents should only dip by about 3% in 2001.

The report shows that affluents have a tremendous impact on certain markets including the automotive, electronics, financial management, and travel and leisure industries. This snapshot of the market shows an important shift in the ethnic make up of American affluents. As ethnic groups are steadily edging up their share of affluent households, women also make up a growing percentage of affluents.

"Women and minorities head up a growing number of affluent households," said Meg Hargreaves, VP of Research Publishing for MarketResearch.com. "The fact that the demographic profile of these decision makers is shifting presents unquestionably powerful ramifications for the marketing efforts directed at this market segment."

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