Plummeting Income Shaves Household Cash

By Frank Bass and Timothy R. Homan - Dec 8, 2011 12:00 AM ET

The housing market collapse, historically low interest rates and corporations stingy with dividends helped cut the median household income in two of every three U.S. counties, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today.

The number of American households that made money from rent, interest or dividends fell by one-third to 24.2 percent in 2010, even in affluent counties including those that encompass New York City and San Francisco.