Wealthier small-business owners are finding themselves at the heart of both the congressional debate over extending Bush-era tax cuts and the debate over control of Congress next year. But just who are these people?

Up until now, lawmakers and interest groups have pointed to a study by the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation that says 3 percent of the nation’s small-business owners earned more than $250,000 in 2009. That $250,000 is a crucial figure.

During former President George W. Bush’s administration, taxes for those making more than that amount were reduced. Those tax breaks are set to expire, a point that has led to a battle royal between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans. Obama wants to let those tax cuts die, preferring to target breaks to the middle class. Republicans, and a few Democrats, want tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to continue as a way to boost job creation and investment.

Obama argues that he can’t keep in place tax cuts for those making above $250,000 and lessen deficit spending, which he’s under pressure to do. “I can’t give tax cuts to the top 2 percent of Americans—86 percent of that money going to people making a million dollars or more—and lower the deficit,” he said during a CNBC Town Hall meeting Monday. “I don’t have the math.”

To get a better picture of wealthy small-business owners, we turned to research produced by The Business Journals, a division of Portfolio.com’s parent company, American City Business Journals. This past winter, The Business Journals conducted its annual survey of small-business attitudes and demographics.

First, a note of explanation and clarification: Rather than look at all those who reported business income on their tax returns, which the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation did, The Business Journals focused on a those who lead companies with between five and 499 employees. That's a smaller but arguably more important group when it comes to small-business hiring. The Business Journals' researchers interviewed 1,762 people who fell into this category, considered significant because it accounts for 84 percent of small-business expenditures.

Within the survey’s sample of small-business owners, The Business Journals research found that the percentage of affluent small-business owners is 9.2 percent. The research goes further and offers a snapshot into a group of Americans who find themselves at the center over the current tax debate:

• The percentage of small-business owners in The Business Journals’ sample with a household income of more than $250,000 actually dropped to 9.2 percent in 2010 from 11.9 percent in 2009.
• The average household income of this group is actually more than double the $250,000 threshold, coming in at $507,000. In comparison, household income for all small-business owners was $109,000. Going broader, the U.S. Census Bureau reported average household income in the United States in 2009 was $67,976.
• These business owners are predominantly male (77 percent) and college educated (74 percent). The average age is about 54.
• Among the higher earners, 47 percent are Republicans, 33 percent are independent, and 18 percent are Democrats. Among the lower earners, 46 percent are Republican, 26 percent are independent, and 21 percent are Democrats. The remainder in each category fell into other political groups.
• Geographically, the biggest chunk—35 percent—come from the South. The West has the second-largest representation with 23 percent. Rounding out the regions, the Northeast claims 22 percent, and the Midwest is home to 20 percent of the target group.
• Besides being personally wealthier, they lead more successful companies. Average sales in their companies was $11.1 million, compared with sales of $5.8 million for those owners who made less than $250,000.
• Eleven percent of these businesses are minority owned.

"This is a group that likes to feel in control, in charge,” said Godfrey Phillips, ACBJ vice president of research. “They know how to run their businesses, and they work very hard. But the economy and health care reform has left them feeling uncertain. They are bathed in uncertainty."