Rich State, Poor State
Think you’re living large—or just getting by? It turns out the answer might depend more on your ZIP code than your paycheck. So how do you actually decide whether a state is “rich” or “poor”? One of the clearest ways is by looking at median household income. Because it’s the midpoint, it neatly splits the population in two—half of households earn more, and half earn less.
Of course, one number can only tell part of the story. While median income sets the foundation for this ranking, it doesn’t capture the full financial reality on its own. To round things out, we’ve pulled in a range of other indicators that paint a broader picture of economic well-being—or struggle.
That includes everything from how many households are scraping by on less than $10,000 a year to how many are pulling in over $200,000. We’ve also factored in median worker earnings, unemployment rates, the share of families living below the poverty line, and how many households have health insurance.
Put it all together, and you get a much clearer sense of where each state truly stands. So…where does yours land? (Yes, we’re including Washington, D.C., too.)
Tima Miroshnichenko, www.pexels.com
51: Mississippi
Median household income: $48,716 (30.1% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 105,133 (9.30%)
Households earning over $200,000: 40,061 (3.50%)
Median earnings for workers: $32,242 (men: $47,546; women: $37,056)
Unemployment rate: 6.40%
Families with income below poverty level: 14.40%
Households with health insurance: 88.10%
CHUCK KELLY, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
50: West Virginia
Median household income: $51,248 (26.5% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 60,933 (8.40%)
Households earning over $200,000: 31,442 (4.40%)
Median earnings for workers: $33,739 (men: $51,981; women: $39,897)
Unemployment rate: 6.20%
Families with income below poverty level: 12.30%
Households with health insurance: 93.90%
Kevin Smith, Wikimedia Commons
49: Louisiana
Median household income: $52,087 (25.3% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 164,981 (9.20%)
Households earning over $200,000: 101,388 (5.70%)
Median earnings for workers: $34,896 (men: $55,078; women: $40,136)
Unemployment rate: 7.60%
Families with income below poverty level: 15.20%
Households with health insurance: 92.40%
thepipe26, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
48: Arkansas
Median household income: $52,528 (24.7% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 89,818 (7.60%)
Households earning over $200,000: 55,972 (4.70%)
Median earnings for workers: $33,869 (men: $47,329; women: $39,526)
Unemployment rate: 5.50%
Families with income below poverty level: 11.60%
Households with health insurance: 90.80%
Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
47: Alabama
Median household income: $53,913 (22.7% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 152,450 (7.70%)
Households earning over $200,000: 101,831 (5.20%)
Median earnings for workers: $34,925 (men: $52,177; women: $39,338)
Unemployment rate: 5.30%
Families with income below poverty level: 11.70%
Households with health insurance: 90.10%
Carol M. Highsmith, Wikimedia Commons
46: New Mexico
Median household income: $53,992 (22.6% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 75,083 (9.00%)
Households earning over $200,000: 48,458 (5.80%)
Median earnings for workers: $34,133 (men: $51,149; women: $43,227)
Unemployment rate: 7.80%
Families with income below poverty level: 14.30%
Households with health insurance: 90.00%
Bowie Snodgrass, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
45: Kentucky
Median household income: $55,573 (20.3% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 144,592 (8.10%)
Households earning over $200,000: 92,250 (5.20%)
Median earnings for workers: $34,928 (men: $51,842; women: $40,991)
Unemployment rate: 5.40%
Families with income below poverty level: 12.20%
Households with health insurance: 94.30%
OPMaster, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
44: Oklahoma
Median household income: $55,826 (19.9% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 105,917 (6.80%)
Households earning over $200,000: 77,228 (5.00%)
Median earnings for workers: $34,460 (men: $51,289; women: $39,781)
Unemployment rate: 5.90%
Families with income below poverty level: 11.50%
Households with health insurance: 86.20%
Jordan Michael Winn, Wikimedia Commons
43: South Carolina
Median household income: $59,318 (14.9% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 144,668 (7.10%)
Households earning over $200,000: 122,320 (6.00%)
Median earnings for workers: $35,987 (men: $52,296; women: $40,739)
Unemployment rate: 5.60%
Families with income below poverty level: 10.80%
Households with health insurance: 90.00%
John Rutledge Smith, Wikimedia Commons
42: Tennessee
Median household income: $59,695 (14.4% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 181,576 (6.60%)
Households earning over $200,000: 175,898 (6.30%)
Median earnings for workers: $36,663 (men: $51,538; women: $41,863)
Unemployment rate: 5.30%
Families with income below poverty level: 9.70%
Households with health insurance: 90.00%
Nathan C. Fortner, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
41: Missouri
Median household income: $61,847 (11.3% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 146,475 (5.90%)
Households earning over $200,000: 157,589 (6.40%)
Median earnings for workers: $37,083 (men: $54,140; women: $43,065)
Unemployment rate: 4.60%
Families with income below poverty level: 8.40%
Households with health insurance: 90.60%
Jason Doss, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
40: North Carolina
Median household income: $61,972 (11.1% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 265,655 (6.40%)
Households earning over $200,000: 308,936 (7.40%)
Median earnings for workers: $37,218 (men: $52,421; women: $44,297)
Unemployment rate: 5.80%
Families with income below poverty level: 9.40%
Households with health insurance: 89.60%
Discover Durham, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
39: Ohio
Median household income: $62,262 (10.7% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 317,928 (6.60%)
Households earning over $200,000: 312,314 (6.50%)
Median earnings for workers: $38,214 (men: $57,177; women: $46,068)
Unemployment rate: 5.40%
Families with income below poverty level: 9.40%
Households with health insurance: 93.50%
Paul Wasneski, Wikimedia Commons
38: Indiana
Median household income: $62,743 (10.0% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 151,979 (5.70%)
Households earning over $200,000: 152,761 (5.70%)
Median earnings for workers: $37,998 (men: $55,191; women: $43,215)
Unemployment rate: 4.70%
Families with income below poverty level: 8.30%
Households with health insurance: 92.50%
37: Florida
Median household income: $63,062 (9.5% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 542,819 (6.30%)
Households earning over $200,000: 663,997 (7.80%)
Median earnings for workers: $35,997 (men: $51,151; women: $42,228)
Unemployment rate: 5.60%
Families with income below poverty level: 9.40%
Households with health insurance: 87.90%
Massimo Catarinella, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
36: Montana
Median household income: $63,249 (9.3% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 23,195 (5.20%)
Households earning over $200,000: 30,784 (6.90%)
Median earnings for workers: $35,272 (men: $55,496; women: $41,725)
Unemployment rate: 4.00%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.20%
Households with health insurance: 91.80%
Ken Eckert, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
35: Michigan
Median household income: $63,498 (8.9% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 256,830 (6.30%)
Households earning over $200,000: 273,320 (6.70%)
Median earnings for workers: $37,258 (men: $60,293; women: $46,914)
Unemployment rate: 6.90%
Families with income below poverty level: 9.00%
Households with health insurance: 95.00%
BenHerrera1979, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
34: Kansas
Median household income: $64,124 (8.0% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 65,819 (5.70%)
Households earning over $200,000: 74,933 (6.50%)
Median earnings for workers: $38,071 (men: $54,902; women: $44,368)
Unemployment rate: 4.40%
Families with income below poverty level: 8.00%
Households with health insurance: 90.80%
Ian Ballinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
33: Maine
Median household income: $64,767 (7.1% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 32,174 (5.40%)
Households earning over $200,000: 39,832 (6.70%)
Median earnings for workers: $39,725 (men: $57,009; women: $47,018)
Unemployment rate: 4.90%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.20%
Households with health insurance: 94.30%
Slashinme, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
32: Wyoming
Median household income: $65,204 (6.5% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 14,659 (6.00%)
Households earning over $200,000: 14,179 (5.80%)
Median earnings for workers: $35,613 (men: $59,853; women: $40,976)
Unemployment rate: 3.70%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.80%
Households with health insurance: 87.80%
Vasiliymeshko, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
31: Iowa
Median household income: $65,600 (5.9% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 64,244 (4.90%)
Households earning over $200,000: 81,020 (6.20%)
Median earnings for workers: $39,068 (men: $56,427; women: $44,801)
Unemployment rate: 3.60%
Families with income below poverty level: 6.90%
Households with health insurance: 95.20%
Tim Kiser, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
30: South Dakota
Median household income: $66,143 (5.1% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 17,158 (4.80%)
Households earning over $200,000: 20,292 (5.70%)
Median earnings for workers: $37,149 (men: $52,405; women: $41,792)
Unemployment rate: 2.80%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.90%
Households with health insurance: 90.50%
Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
29: Nevada
Median household income: $66,274 (4.9% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 85,960 (7.20%)
Households earning over $200,000: 89,881 (7.50%)
Median earnings for workers: $37,052 (men: $52,398; women: $44,906)
Unemployment rate: 9.70%
Families with income below poverty level: 10.60%
Households with health insurance: 88.40%
Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
28: Idaho
Median household income: $66,474 (4.7% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 30,955 (4.50%)
Households earning over $200,000: 45,347 (6.50%)
Median earnings for workers: $34,941 (men: $51,941; women: $40,803)
Unemployment rate: 3.30%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.70%
Households with health insurance: 91.20%
Jon Sullivan, Wikimedia Commons
27: North Dakota
Median household income: $66,519 (4.6% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 18,213 (5.60%)
Households earning over $200,000: 19,407 (6.00%)
Median earnings for workers: $39,438 (men: $57,121; women: $45,182)
Unemployment rate: 2.90%
Families with income below poverty level: 6.30%
Households with health insurance: 92.10%
Jonathan Schilling, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
26: Georgia
Median household income: $66,559 (4.5% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 251,693 (6.30%)
Households earning over $200,000: 337,914 (8.40%)
Median earnings for workers: $37,512 (men: $54,422; women: $45,405)
Unemployment rate: 5.50%
Families with income below poverty level: 10.60%
Households with health insurance: 87.40%
Chuck Koehler, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
25: Nebraska
Median household income: $66,817 (4.2% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 40,806 (5.20%)
Households earning over $200,000: 53,061 (6.80%)
Median earnings for workers: $38,898 (men: $56,121; women: $44,037)
Unemployment rate: 2.70%
Families with income below poverty level: 6.70%
Households with health insurance: 92.90%
Chuck Koehler, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
24: Texas
Median household income: $66,963 (4.0% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 657,665 (6.10%)
Households earning over $200,000: 955,952 (8.90%)
Median earnings for workers: $38,059 (men: $56,100; women: $45,393)
Unemployment rate: 6.20%
Families with income below poverty level: 11.00%
Households with health insurance: 82.00%
Carol M. Highsmith, Wikimedia Commons
23: Wisconsin
Median household income: $67,125 (3.7% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 117,547 (4.80%)
Households earning over $200,000: 160,477 (6.60%)
Median earnings for workers: $40,678 (men: $57,925; women: $46,762)
Unemployment rate: 3.50%
Families with income below poverty level: 6.80%
Households with health insurance: 94.60%
Isaac Rowlett, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
22: Pennsylvania
Median household income: $68,957 (1.1% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 308,449 (5.90%)
Households earning over $200,000: 454,003 (8.70%)
Median earnings for workers: $40,983 (men: $62,096; women: $50,272)
Unemployment rate: 6.40%
Families with income below poverty level: 8.30%
Households with health insurance: 94.50%
21: Arizona
Median household income: $69,056 (0.9% less than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 158,400 (5.60%)
Households earning over $200,000: 228,651 (8.10%)
Median earnings for workers: $39,023 (men: $55,458; women: $46,309)
Unemployment rate: 5.80%
Families with income below poverty level: 9.10%
Households with health insurance: 89.30%
20: Delaware
Median household income: $71,091 (2.0% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 20,504 (5.20%)
Households earning over $200,000: 33,025 (8.30%)
Median earnings for workers: $41,374 (men: $60,608; women: $51,827)
Unemployment rate: 5.60%
Families with income below poverty level: 8.60%
Households with health insurance: 94.30%
PookieFugglestein, Wikimedia Commons
19: Oregon
Median household income: $71,562 (2.6% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 90,749 (5.30%)
Households earning over $200,000: 153,152 (9.00%)
Median earnings for workers: $40,063 (men: $60,831; women: $51,057)
Unemployment rate: 6.40%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.60%
Households with health insurance: 93.90%
Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
18: Illinois
Median household income: $72,205 (3.6% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 321,928 (6.40%)
Households earning over $200,000: 504,727 (10.10%)
Median earnings for workers: $41,504 (men: $63,819; women: $51,131)
Unemployment rate: 7.40%
Families with income below poverty level: 8.60%
Households with health insurance: 93.00%
Pedro Szekely, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
17: Vermont
Median household income: $72,431 (3.9% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 10,992 (4.10%)
Households earning over $200,000: 23,553 (8.70%)
Median earnings for workers: $40,249 (men: $55,803; women: $51,931)
Unemployment rate: 4.20%
Families with income below poverty level: 6.30%
Households with health insurance: 96.30%
King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
16: Rhode Island
Median household income: $74,008 (6.2% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 25,735 (5.80%)
Households earning over $200,000: 45,324 (10.30%)
Median earnings for workers: $41,891 (men: $63,219; women: $54,188)
Unemployment rate: 7.70%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.00%
Households with health insurance: 95.70%
Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
15: New York
Median household income: $74,314 (6.6% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 535,006 (7.00%)
Households earning over $200,000: 987,887 (12.90%)
Median earnings for workers: $43,462 (men: $67,512; women: $59,869)
Unemployment rate: 8.70%
Families with income below poverty level: 10.10%
Households with health insurance: 94.80%
Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
14: Minnesota
Median household income: $77,720 (11.5% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 96,651 (4.20%)
Households earning over $200,000: 226,903 (9.90%)
Median earnings for workers: $43,853 (men: $64,611; women: $52,535)
Unemployment rate: 4.90%
Families with income below poverty level: 5.50%
Households with health insurance: 95.50%
AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
13: Alaska
Median household income: $77,845 (11.7% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 14,625 (5.40%)
Households earning over $200,000: 27,700 (10.20%)
Median earnings for workers: $41,962 (men: $62,134; women: $55,285)
Unemployment rate: 7.00%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.10%
Households with health insurance: 88.60%
Quintin Soloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
12: Utah
Median household income: $79,449 (14.0% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 47,612 (4.30%)
Households earning over $200,000: 108,131 (9.80%)
Median earnings for workers: $37,325 (men: $61,269; women: $44,707)
Unemployment rate: 3.50%
Families with income below poverty level: 5.90%
Households with health insurance: 91.00%
Jkinsocal, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
11: Virginia
Median household income: $80,963 (16.1% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 167,157 (5.00%)
Households earning over $200,000: 445,751 (13.40%)
Median earnings for workers: $43,963 (men: $66,014; women: $53,414)
Unemployment rate: 4.80%
Families with income below poverty level: 6.90%
Households with health insurance: 93.20%
Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
10: Colorado
Median household income: $82,254 (18.0% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 110,592 (4.80%)
Households earning over $200,000: 277,905 (12.00%)
Median earnings for workers: $44,818 (men: $65,217; women: $54,635)
Unemployment rate: 5.30%
Families with income below poverty level: 6.20%
Households with health insurance: 92.00%
Trueshow111, Wikimedia Commons
9: Connecticut
Median household income: $83,771 (20.2% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 74,573 (5.20%)
Households earning over $200,000: 208,195 (14.60%)
Median earnings for workers: $45,511 (men: $73,022; women: $60,672)
Unemployment rate: 6.70%
Families with income below poverty level: 6.70%
Households with health insurance: 94.80%
John9474, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
8: Washington
Median household income: $84,247 (20.8% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 145,555 (4.80%)
Households earning over $200,000: 422,689 (14.00%)
Median earnings for workers: $46,951 (men: $74,068; women: $57,567)
Unemployment rate: 5.90%
Families with income below poverty level: 6.50%
Households with health insurance: 93.60%
Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
7: Hawaii
Median household income: $84,857 (21.7% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 26,535 (5.40%)
Households earning over $200,000: 65,102 (13.30%)
Median earnings for workers: $40,595 (men: $61,812; women: $49,816)
Unemployment rate: 7.70%
Families with income below poverty level: 8.00%
Households with health insurance: 96.10%
ArdentArbitration, Wikimedia Commons
6: California
Median household income: $84,907 (21.8% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 715,644 (5.30%)
Households earning over $200,000: 2,082,043 (15.50%)
Median earnings for workers: $41,891 (men: $65,324; women: $57,373)
Unemployment rate: 8.30%
Families with income below poverty level: 9.00%
Households with health insurance: 93.00%
Noah Friedlander, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
5: New Hampshire
Median household income: $88,465 (26.9% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 17,235 (3.10%)
Households earning over $200,000: 62,138 (11.30%)
Median earnings for workers: $45,677 (men: $68,566; women: $51,880)
Unemployment rate: 3.60%
Families with income below poverty level: 4.80%
Households with health insurance: 94.90%
Mikespenard, Wikimedia Commons
4: New Jersey
Median household income: $89,296 (28.1% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 171,737 (4.90%)
Households earning over $200,000: 584,370 (16.70%)
Median earnings for workers: $50,021 (men: $75,297; women: $61,802)
Unemployment rate: 8.10%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.40%
Households with health insurance: 92.80%
BJT11091, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
3: Massachusetts
Median household income: $89,645 (28.6% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 149,006 (5.40%)
Households earning over $200,000: 472,304 (17.10%)
Median earnings for workers: $50,683 (men: $77,636; women: $66,536)
Unemployment rate: 6.60%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.10%
Households with health insurance: 97.50%
Terageorge, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
2: Washington DC
Median household income: $90,088 (29.2% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 30,677 (9.60%)
Households earning over $200,000: 68,951 (21.60%)
Median earnings for workers: $72,457 (men: $103,222; women: $87,244)
Unemployment rate: 8.20%
Families with income below poverty level: 12.80%
Households with health insurance: 96.30%
David, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1: Maryland
Median household income: $90,203 (29.4% more than US median income)
Households earning less than $10,000: 122,990 (5.20%)
Households earning over $200,000: 355,084 (15.10%)
Median earnings for workers: $50,548 (men: $71,995; women: $62,190)
Unemployment rate: 5.90%
Families with income below poverty level: 7.40%
Households with health insurance: 93.90%
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Powerhawk5k, Wikimedia Commons
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