States with the highest household income

Understanding states with the highest household income

Across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, median household income spans from $109,870 in the District of Columbia at the top of the list to $56,447 in Mississippi at the bottom. The three at the top are the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, and Maryland; the three at the bottom are Louisiana, West Virginia, and Mississippi.

The District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Hawaii, and California have the highest median household incomes, all close to or above $100,000. Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Arkansas are at the bottom, around $56,000 to $61,000. The gap between the top and the bottom is close to two to one.

The second column divides each income by the state's price level. The gap narrows sharply: high-income states are also high-price states, so part of their income advantage goes to rent and services. New York falls furthest, from 16th to 31st, and Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, and Florida each drop ten places or more. Iowa, North Dakota, Kansas, South Dakota, and Nebraska each climb ten or more, because their incomes sit a little below the national median while their prices sit well below it.

Household income counts everyone in the household, so it is not a salary. States with larger households or more two-earner couples can post higher household incomes without higher pay per worker. For individual pay, use the occupation wage pages, which compare the same job across states.