September 15th, 2016 by WCBC Radio

Maryland reported the highest median household income in the country in 2015, but the state's income growth lagged behind the national rate, according to new survey data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Median income was $75,847 in Maryland last year, up 2.4 percent from 2014. At the same time, the poverty rate declined statewide to 9.7 percent, or about 570,776 people living in poverty, according to the Census' American Community Survey. The data show that Maryland's economy is growing, more people are working and their wages are rising. But economists cautioned Thursday that beneath encouraging numbers, many Marylanders still are struggling to make ends meet as the state falls short of its growth potential.