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On Fri, 14 Apr 2000, Gerald Levy wrote:
> > But if
> > Patrick's figure is right, it means of course that 500f
> > families have incomes greater than $45,000, which is not
> > consistent with a majority having incomes less than $26,887!
>
> Not correct.
OK, I see what you're saying. If the median is $45,000 that is
obviously not consistent with a majority having an income below
that level, but it is consistent with the _mean_ income of a
majority lying below that level.
But then this statistic ("mean income of a majority" --
presumably 50.1%) seems rather tricksy. Inequalities of income
are gross enough that there's no need to resort to statistical
trickery to exaggerate them.
Allin.
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