Nevada sees rise in income inequality in 2015

LAS VEGAS — Nevada has seen a slight increase in income inequality between 2014 and 2015, making it one of only eight states to have the gap rise.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Nevada’s inequality changed from 0.43 in 2014 to 0.45 last year. The measurement can be between 1 and 0, with 0 representing prefect equality and 1 representing total inequality.

The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey shows that all groups in Nevada earned more in 2015 than the previous year but increases were higher among higher household incomes.

The top 20 percent of households saw a 7.7 percent increase in average earnings, from $161,083 to $173,448, while the bottom 20 percent saw a hike of 2 percent, bringing their average annual earnings from $12,513 to $12,783.