Income in the Nation and the PIA Western Alliance States
Published June 16, 2026 at 2:04 PM · News Releases and Bulletins
WalletHub studied data from the Federal Reserve and determined the median yearly income in the U.S. is about $83,700. That’s the average. A lucky 5% or so score way over that figure and way too many are far below.
To reach its conclusions, WalletHub’s Chip Lupo said they compared incomes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in three 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.
“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,” Lupo said. “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.”
He also pointed out the staggering number of wealthy people leaving the PIA Western Alliance state of California.
"What's going on in California also is the number of high-wealth individuals that are fleeing the state," Lupo said. "A lot of wealth is moving out of the state and into more tax-friendly states like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee.”
Here are the top 5 highest incomes:
1. Virgina
Total score: 67.57
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $545,097
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $95,339
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $19,651
2. New York
3. New Jersey
4. Washington
Total score: 65.23
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $522,328
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $112,993
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $19,082
5. Connecticut
The rest of the PIA Western Alliance states:
13. California
Total score: 53.45
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $482,584
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $133,974
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $14,662
18. Arizona
Total score: 45.08
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $468,720
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $82,171
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $17,627
20. Idaho
Total score: 44.76
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $451,372
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $77,612
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $20,170
31. Montana
Total score: 35.43
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $436.593
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $75,018
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $16,845
33. Nevada
Total score: 35.28
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $433,697
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $87,278
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $15,669
38. Oregon
Total score: 31.69
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $409,723
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $98,039
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $15,305
39. Hawaii
Total score: 30.01
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $360,535
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $149,911
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $14,375
42. Alaska
Total score: 26.79
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $352,276
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $122,341
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $16,793
50. New Mexico
Total score: 13.66
Average annual income of top 5% adjusted for COLI: $379,521
Median annual income adjusted for COLI: $64,450
Annual average income for bottom 20% adjusted for COLI: $12,485
Source link: WalletHub — https://bit.ly/4xoBmNo