The states where residents earn the highest incomes
Virginia tops WalletHub’s state income rankings, with the top 5% earning $545,097 on average and the bottom 20% earning $19,671.
- Virginia ranked first overall in WalletHub's latest study, which assessed resident incomes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia using three income-based measures adjusted for cost of living.
- To determine the rankings, WalletHub compared the average annual income of the top 5% of earners, the bottom 20%, and the median income for all residents across the nation.
- New York led with $585,523 for top 5% earners, while Virginia followed with $545,097; Virginia's median annual income stood at $95,339, placing it 17th among states.
- WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo noted that the highest-earning 10% of Americans earn over 12 times more than those in the lowest-earning 10%, based on Census data.
- Data used for the analysis came from the Census Bureau and Council for Community and Economic Research as of May 5, 2026, helping identify where income disparities affect residents most.
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Study ranks New Jersey third for income nationwide - WRNJ Radio
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey residents have the third-highest incomes in the nation, according to a new study released Tuesday by personal finance website WalletHub. The report, States Where People Have the Highest Income, compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia using three income-related measures adjusted for cost of living: median annual income, average annual income for the top 5% of earners and average annual income for the bottom 20%…
States Where People Have the Highest Income in 2026
The median yearly income in the U.S. is around $83,700, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve. However, there is a great deal of income disparity, with some people making vastly more than that while others are unfortunately stuck in poverty. In order 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 …
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