LOS ANGELES What does the average Californian earn? Probably not enough to live well in California.
Tax returns filed before this year's recession began showed that the average Californian earned $35,390 a year, the California Franchise Tax Board reported Saturday.
Average home prices in the region, of course, are many times that -- in the $600,000 range.
The average married couple reported a joint income of $66,810 per year in 2006, the agency said.
Statistics released by the state this weekend show California taxpayers filed 15.1 million state income tax returns in 2006, and reported some $1.2 trillion in adjusted gross income. That figure represented a healthy a 9.4 percent increase over 2005 figures, but came before the current recession started.
"Fifty seven out of 58 counties reported income growth in 2006, a year
when consumer spending was up and unemployment remained low in California," said State Controller John Chiang, who heads the tax board.
Los Angeles County taxpayers filed 25.5 percent of all 2006 income tax returns in California. They reported median incomes of $30,822 for single-payer returns, and $57,725 for joint returns, ranking 39th and 31st in the state, respectively.
Four suburban Bay Area counties again top California's 2006 median income survey. Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties routinely report the highest median incomes.
Marin County still has the highest median income for joint returns, reporting $116,626, an increase of 8.1 percent over 2005, the tax board reported.
