  The analysis of the USA 2001 income distribution shows that it can be
described by at least two main components, which obey the generalized Tsallis
statistics with different values of the q parameter. Theoretical calculations
using the gas kinetics model with a distributed saving propensity factor and
two ensembles reproduce the empirical data and provide further information on
the structure of the distribution, which shows a clear stratification. This
stratification is amenable to different interpretations, which are analyzed.
The distribution function is invariant with the average individual income,
which implies that the inequity of the distribution cannot be modified by
increasing the total income.
