Median family wealth is at a 43-year low, study finds

Much social debate has swirled about the plunging net worth of the middle class in the U.S. while the wealthiest Americans have gained wealth. A recent study by New York University economics professor Edward N. Wolff put that theory into raw statistics. According to Wolff, the median net worth of American households has hit a 43-year low of $57,000 (in 2010 dollars). Meanwhile, the richest 1 percent saw their average wealth jump by 71 percent.