Thursday, June 4, 2026

Money Matters - Where People Have the Highest Income

With the median yearly income in the U.S. around $83,700, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on the States Where People Have the Highest Income to get a feel for how well-off Americans are across the country.

WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key metrics: the average annual income of the top 5%, the average for the bottom 20%, and the median for all of each state’s residents.
 
Highest Incomes Lowest Incomes
1. Virginia 42. Alaska
2. New York 43. Kentucky
3. New Jersey 44. Vermont
4. Washington 45. Alabama
5. Connecticut 46. Rhode Island
6. Utah 47. Maine
7. Colorado 48. Louisiana
8. Minnesota 49. Mississippi
9. Illinois 50. New Mexico
10. Massachusetts 51. West Virginia
 
For the full report and to see where your state ranks, please visit: 
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-where-people-have-the-highest-income/136995

 

“The highest-earning 10% of individuals in the United States earn over 12 times more than those in the lowest-earning 10%, based on the latest Census data. By measuring the income of various percentiles against a state's median income, we can better identify where income disparities are more prevalent, which could help us better understand why residents of certain states struggle more to make ends meet.”

“Virginia is the state where people have the highest income, when balancing between the median, top 5% and bottom 20% of earners. The top 5% of earners in the state make an average $545,097 per year, while the bottom 20% make an average of $19,671 – the top 5% ranks as the second-highest in the nation, while the bottom 20% ranks fourth. The median annual income in Virginia is $95,339, which ranks as the 17th-highest in the country, so it seems like many people are skewed to either side of the wealth spectrum.”

- Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst  

 
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