In these divisive political times, it’s interesting to know that Americans can come together around a common love of television.
Even as cable-subscription rates rise, TV is still accessible for people with various levels of income. And there are so many choices – and price points – today, including cable, online, and streaming services.
So which shows are most popular across different household incomes? And what shows prove more popular among certain income levels?
Business Insider partnered with Viant, a Time Inc.-owned advertising technology company, which analyzed viewing on smart TVs and cross-referenced that data with the credit-reporting company Experian to find the shows that indexed the highest in these household income levels: less than $50,000, $50,000 to $75,000, $75,000 to $125,000, and more than $125,000.
We then assigned the shows a score according to where they landed among the income levels and ranked them. Some shows seem pretty predictable, such as the massive popularity across the board for CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory.” Others are surprising, such as Fox’s “Lethal Weapon” reboot and NBC’s “The Voice.”
Here are the top shows on TV according to how much you make. (The full lists by income bracket are at the bottom.)
Note: This list doesn't include news, sports, and non-primetime programming.
11. "The Voice" (NBC)
NBC's singing competition, "The Voice," is the only reality show to break into the top 11 shows in the income brackets we looked at. Interestingly, it fails to crack the top 10 in all the groups, except for one. In the high-income bracket of those who make more than $125,000, it ranked No. 9.
9. "Family Guy" (Fox) – TIE
Fox's animated comedy "Family Guy" broke the top 10 for every income level except the highest bracket for those who make more than $125,000. For those who make the most money, it ranked No. 11. Overall, it tied with "Empire."
9. "Empire" (Fox) – TIE
Fox's hip-hop family drama "Empire" consistently ranked No. 10 in all the income brackets except one. It did a bit better with those who make between $75,000 and $125,000, landing in the No. 9 position. Overall, it tied with "Family Guy."
8. "Lethal Weapon" (Fox)
It's a bit of a surprise that "Lethal Weapon," a remake of the 1987 Mel Gibson/Danny Glover film, is doing as well as it is with viewers overall. It's the only freshman series to land in the top 10 for all income levels. In fact, it ranked No. 8 across all four groups.
7. "NCIS" (CBS)
CBS crime drama "NCIS" is still going strong after 15 seasons. It ranked No. 7 across all income groups.
6. "Blue Bloods" (CBS)
CBS's drama about a family of cops is holding up well with seven seasons behind it. It ranked No. 6 across all income levels.
5. "The Simpsons" (Fox)
Thirty seasons later and "The Simpsons" continues to entertain American audiences. While it ranked in the top five across all income groups, it did a bit better with those with higher incomes. It rose to No. 3 among those who make $75,000 and above.
4. "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC)
NBC's long-running crime and legal mashup drama holds its own across three of the groups at fourth place, but sees a slight fall to No. 5 for those who make between $75,000 and $125,000.
3. "Criminal Minds" (CBS)
After 12 seasons, CBS's drama about FBI profilers certainly has the American audience figured out. It did particularly well with those who make less than $50,000 and those who bring home between $50,000 and $75,000, ranking No. 3 for both groups. It falls a bit for those who make more than $125,000, at No. 5.
2. "Modern Family" (ABC)
Americans have clearly bonded with "Modern Family" over its eight-season run. It ranked as the No. 2 show across all income groups.
1. "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Holding its title as the most-watched show on TV, "The Big Bang Theory" topped the list of most popular shows across all four income groups. Clearly, nerds rule America's TV sets.
See below for the top primetime TV shows in each income group we looked at:
Less than $50,000.
1. "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS) 2. "Modern Family" (ABC) 3. "Criminal Minds" (CBS) 4. "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC) 5. "The Simpsons" (Fox) 6. "Blue Bloods" (CBS) 7. "NCIS" (CBS) 8. "Lethal Weapon" (Fox) 9. "Family Guy" (Fox) 10. "Empire" (Fox) 11. "The Voice" (NBC)
$50,000 to $75,000.
1. "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS) 2. "Modern Family" (ABC) 3. "Criminal Minds" (CBS) 4. "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC) 5. "The Simpsons" (Fox) 6. "Blue Bloods" (CBS) 7. "NCIS" (CBS) 8. "Lethal Weapon" (Fox) 9. "Family Guy" (Fox) 10. "Empire" (Fox) 11. "The Voice" (NBC)
$75,000 to $125,000.
1. "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS) 2. "Modern Family" (ABC) 3. "The Simpsons" (Fox) 4. "Criminal Minds" (CBS) 5. "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC) 6. "Blue Bloods" (CBS) 7. "NCIS" (CBS) 8. "Lethal Weapon" (Fox) 9. "Empire" (Fox) 10. "Family Guy" (Fox) 11. "The Voice" (NBC)
More than $125,000.
1. "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)2. "Modern Family" (ABC) 3. "The Simpsons" (Fox) 4. "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC) 5. "Criminal Minds" (CBS) 6. "Blue Bloods" (CBS) 7. "NCIS" (CBS) 8. "Lethal Weapon" (Fox) 9. "The Voice" (NBC) 10. "Empire" (Fox) 11. "Family Guy" (Fox)
