&gt; Do you think this is intended to summarize the shift in median income (generally downward since 1997)?<p>No, its intended to discuss the move of the income distribution to be less-tightly clustered around the median with more at the extremes (the particular release the NYT article is about talks about the by-metro-area effects of this, but the broader trend is succinctly illustrated in this graphic [0] from the December 2015 national-level report which preceded the metro-area-level one the article is based on.)<p>[0] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pewsocialtrends.org&#x2F;2015&#x2F;12&#x2F;09&#x2F;the-american-middle-class-is-losing-ground&#x2F;st_2015-12-09_middle-class-03&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pewsocialtrends.org&#x2F;2015&#x2F;12&#x2F;09&#x2F;the-american-middl...</a>