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Top 10 Richest U.S. States by Median Income

Can you name the 10 richest states in the United States based on median household income?
For the year 2022. Source: American Community Survey.
Full list here
Opposite quiz here
Quiz by jpg20369
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Last updated: September 15, 2023
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First submittedJune 27, 2016
Times taken99,946
Average score70.0%
Rating4.42
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Median ($)
State
96,346
New Jersey
94,991
Maryland
94,488
Massachusetts
92,458
Hawaii
91,551
California
Median ($)
State
91,306
Washington
89,992
New Hampshire
89,302
Colorado
89,168
Utah
88,429
Connecticut
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97 Comments
Jerry928
+13
Level 76
Sep 11, 2016
Last I heard, North Dakota's income had gone through the roof because of gas drilling. Puzzled to see that missing.
comjag
+3
Level 90
Nov 10, 2016
Yes quiz definitely needs to be updated.
tshalla
+48
Level 76
Nov 10, 2016
Perhaps, but resource extraction often has little to do with typical household incomes (witness Equatorial Guinea).
Quizmaster
+14
Level ∞
Sep 26, 2019
North Dakota ranks #18 for 2018.

Edit: North Dakota's 2020 ranking is #32.

Quizmaster
+8
Level ∞
Dec 1, 2021
Proximity to centers of power (government, tech, corporate) seems to be the major source of household wealth in the U.S.
raneman11
+4
Level 67
Nov 10, 2016
Yeah, but there are so few people that live in North Dakota that the portion involved with the oil trade is significant enough that i guessed it too, got all except Minnesota
Anchi
+6
Level 45
Dec 19, 2020
That might affect the average household income, but not the median household income, which is what the quiz is based on.
bitterblue
+2
Level 58
Nov 25, 2016
its for 2014
qcumber
+4
Level 45
Jan 12, 2018
not only that, but it has tons of jobs...
stg
+7
Level 46
Apr 10, 2018
North Dakota household income has only gone up to $60,000, as of 2016. This list bottoms out at $67,000.

And it only "exploded" from $50k in 2005. So the hype may be overblown.

What you MAY have remembered hearing is that the COST OF LIVING and HOUSING values and costs have EXPLODED, because of demand.

Home values have gone up 60 percent in ten years according to one source--which is since the 2006-7 national housing bust.

According to the same source, job growth in North Dakota has been NEGATIVE, recently.

TamuAudwodia
+8
Level 66
Nov 4, 2019
Don't forget Median and Average income is not the same. There could be a few rich holding all the money, making the average seem high, while the median is low.
Dontneedone
+2
Level 79
Sep 11, 2016
Can confirm that NJ is way too expensive.
Rowand33
+3
Level 51
Jan 24, 2018
And California.
alburquirky
+3
Level 56
Oct 13, 2016
Just had a crazy glitch, I scored 8, my high score says 7, and Maryland is green but says 0% fo my high score. I was typing it just as time ran out.....weird
Quizmaster
+15
Level ∞
Oct 14, 2016
Bug in the matrix!
joeythelemur
+12
Level 83
Apr 9, 2018
Love the username, alburquirky. :-)
Tramp
+16
Level 76
Nov 10, 2016
I always thought Rhode Island was super rich for some reason
jmellor13
+4
Level 67
Nov 10, 2016
You're probably thinking of Newport Beach, RI. There are a lot of beautiful (and impossibly expensive) mansions on the waterfront. I don't think most of them are full-time homes to in-state residents though. New England is small enough that I suspect a lot of wealthy people from CT and MA own those homes. I haven't spent a ton of time in Rhode Island, but it seems middle-of-the-road as far income is concerned.
prs17
+5
Level 75
Mar 5, 2019
It's just Newport, RI. Newport Beach is in California.
stg
+5
Level 46
Apr 10, 2018
Actually, Rhode Island has had a moderately lousy economy in the last 30 years or so. It's a victim of the bust in the textile factory economy of the old days. But it muddles through, due to seaside tourism.
IsleAuHaulte
+3
Level 90
Jul 15, 2018
It's mostly Providence's urban area, pretty nondescript working class.
Malbaby
+2
Level 70
Nov 10, 2016
I can't imagine where all that income in Alaska comes from?
Tramp
+26
Level 76
Nov 10, 2016
Exporting ice to the south
kalbahamut
+5
Level 81
Nov 10, 2016
energy
TWM03
+7
Level 70
Nov 4, 2019
All the people who weren't earning enough money there moved away.
imalittledespot
+5
Level 68
Nov 10, 2016
A thousand bucks per year per resident from the state's oil dividend doesn't hurt.
redsplat
+3
Level 73
Jan 29, 2018
Resource extraction (petroleum, wood, shellfish/fish and mining) and tourism/hospitality. It can be expensive to live in the north (in both the USA and Canada), and there's often a shortage of workers, so wages are high.
stg
+2
Level 46
Apr 10, 2018
It's EXPENSIVE to live in Alaska unless you can live off the land; for one thing you can't get ANYWHERE without FLYING, sometimes in a PRIVATE plane, sometimes that private plane is your OWN plane.

So businesses and even the state have to PAY people to live there, otherwise they'd have no workers.

FreeStater
+8
Level 76
Oct 29, 2022
THANKS for CAPITALIZING your MAIN points.
kalbahamut
+5
Level 81
Nov 10, 2016
I got all of them, but, I am truly stunned to see Maryland at #1. How!!?? So many lower-income people living in the northern Washington DC suburbs and all over Baltimore. I was also a little surprised to see my home state of Virginia, even though I know Northern Virginia is one of the wealthiest places in the country I thought the southern 4/5ths of the state would drag it down. But I guess the population disparity between these areas kept the median up. The rest are fairly obvious, though I would have expected Maine, Vermont, and maybe some other places not on the list to be above New Jersey.
bks961
+12
Level 75
Nov 10, 2016
Northern Virginia and Central Maryland are two of the wealthiest areas of the nation due to all the federal employees living there, just as people work in NYC but live in New Jersey and Connecticut, which is why they make the cut but New York doesn't. Vermont has Hemmings Motor News and Maine has L. L. Bean and the Portland Sea Dogs but otherwise not much else, so their absence isn't surprising.
DiscoBayGolfer
+6
Level 78
Nov 10, 2016
Keep in mind, there are A LOT of people working in NYC (making tons of cash) and living in Jersey.
JBlouw1850
+5
Level 43
Nov 10, 2016
And Connecticut
NV1
+3
Level 51
Aug 19, 2022
Upstate NY, Vermont, and Maine are all economically depressed areas.
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Nov 10, 2016
My guess is that a large percentage of people have relatively high-paying jobs working for the federal government or government contractors.
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
Nov 10, 2016
I know there are some I just thought the large majority lived on the other side of the Potomac, and also that they would be vastly outnumbered by the low-income populations of the areas I mentioned.
InterAlia
+1
Level 76
Nov 1, 2023
Just goes to show that the impression you get driving around a place doesn't tell a very thorough story. It's valuable, but so are statistical analyses.
Jayjaysciz
+3
Level 56
Nov 13, 2016
I live in Maryland and as a member of the "working poor" class of people, I too was amazed when I heard this. Sure ive heard that their are really rich people down by DC but everyone I've met or know is at most middle class.
OliviaPG
+3
Level 68
Feb 16, 2021
This is based on median income, so the rich people aren't what are affecting it; it's more that the middle class is making more on average.
stg
+5
Level 46
Apr 10, 2018
Maryland is one of the most EDUCATED states in the country--so, NOT surprising it's one of the highest paid.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/10-most-educated-states?slide=5

Wanna know what occupation is the most overrepresented in Maryland, compared to national population?

Healthcare. A highly paid profession.

http://www.businessinsider.com/disproportionately-popular-job-in-every-state-map-2017-4

rcshelton23
+3
Level 56
Nov 4, 2019
I live in Southern VA and thought the same. Northern VA has a bustling economy because it's so close to DC, but the Southern portion of VA is dirt poor.
smoceany
+2
Level 51
Jun 9, 2021
nj is just really cool i guess (totally not biased because i 100% do not live in new jersey 100% i am not lying)
InfiniteInsanity999
+2
Level 42
Nov 10, 2016
Got Minnesota with 4 seconds left! :D
SparkleBoo
+2
Level 56
Apr 1, 2017
Okay, I lived in California and I guess I believe it a little. Though, it's probably from all the industry in Southern California. Now I've lived in Minnesota and seeing that state right below California surprised me greatly. :D
Malbaby
+2
Level 70
Sep 26, 2017
Think you know where the States of USA are? ….. try my "Walk the coast of USA quiz"……

here it is

peardestroyer
+6
Level 60
Sep 12, 2020
Lol why do you always advertize your quizzes on quizzes not even related to them
Algernon
+4
Level 73
Jan 24, 2018
Interesting quiz. Tough for us non Americans mind.
VirusSlo
+4
Level 70
Jan 30, 2018
There has to be some way to spell Massachublah easier. I missed it again because of misspelling.
seechdog
+6
Level 65
Jan 30, 2018
Californian and Hawaiian people may get paid better for instance, but when your housing and other cost of living is through the roof...If you have to pay double for the same house as in Tennessee, or if your gas is $1 more a gallon, or if you need to make $130,000 to get by....is your state really one of the richest states?
mrputter
+4
Level 83
Jan 5, 2022
I think it makes a lot of sense, actually.

When your cost of living and cost of, well, everything (which is especially the case for Hawaii), is so high, then that basically acts as an inflationary driver across the entire economy. Meaning that the value of the US dollar is effectively lower in those states than it would be in some others.

California, for example, has the highest minimum wage in the country. Hawaii doesn't de jure, but in practice a higher percentage of the people in Hawaii make more than minimum wage, than is the case elsewhere.

So even if someone is just struggling to get by and barely afford to pay rent and gas (as you propose), they're in that situation with a higher income (measured in US dollars) than someone elsewhere would be. And since this quiz is basically just using raw dollars as the yardstick, it makes sense that those states would be high on the list.

Quizmaster
+2
Level ∞
Sep 15, 2023
Fast forward 5 years:

RIP Tennessee being an affordable place to live.

DomRulz
+7
Level 47
Feb 2, 2018
It would be interesting to see a list of highest wages in relation to cost of living.
JoeBurns
+1
Level 33
Apr 9, 2018
Where is Chicago
joeythelemur
+16
Level 83
Apr 9, 2018
It's in the state of Illinois.
smoceany
+1
Level 51
Jun 9, 2021
no its in the state of solid, except for the air which is only 25% solid and the water which is not solid
Shamooski19
+2
Level 67
Jan 7, 2022
Is your question is Chicago a state, does Chicago have a high enough income to make the list despite being a state, or where its Geographical location is? For the former, no. The second, no. And the third, Chicago is in the northeastern part of the U.S. State of Illinois on Lake Michigan. To its north is the state of Wisconsin and to its East is the state of Indiana. Hope this answers your question.
Timothy2b
+4
Level 58
Apr 9, 2018
No surprise that all these are either on the West Coast or in the Northeast.
OfficerDibble
+3
Level 82
Apr 9, 2018
Hm, someone should make a quiz like this for the counties of England. Tell you what, I'll do it.
OfficerDibble
+6
Level 82
Aug 2, 2018
Here's the England one
WolfCam
+1
Level 66
Apr 9, 2018
I feel like Bezos and Gates single-handedly bring up Washington's.
kalbahamut
+16
Level 81
Apr 10, 2018
Then you don't understand what median means.
WolfCam
+6
Level 66
Aug 26, 2019
Good point. My knowledge of measures of central tendency are lacking.
MrSchickadance
+3
Level 64
Apr 9, 2018
Got Alaska and Hawaii with one second left for 100%! YES SIR!
MasterKenobi
+2
Level 61
Apr 16, 2018
Guessed Maryland right away and wasn't surprised it was number one. Also not at all surprised with the New England states or Hawaii, but never would've guessed Alaska...interesting.
IsleAuHaulte
+2
Level 90
Jul 15, 2018
The most obvious was the least guessed? Alaska's famously expensive. Not that any of this "richest" does any good when house prices in these states are enough to bankrupt a family.
GeoGuy8
+3
Level 66
Aug 12, 2018
first thing I typed was Nevada thinking of Las Vegas... I really need to take a lesson on Economics
Devvik2
+3
Level 73
Nov 5, 2018
I live in Washington and the houses are SOOOOOO expensive!
ed1969
+2
Level 72
Mar 4, 2019
The amount of wealth concentrated in Northern Virginia is insane. The average income of rest of the state is probably fairly typical.
Findlay
+2
Level 82
Mar 5, 2019
This seems pretty much as expected - New England, around DC, Pacific.
Bdubz
+3
Level 43
Jul 7, 2019
Maryland is shocking though because Baltimore isn't a particularly great city
RobNobody
+1
Level 78
Nov 1, 2023
As someone who lives in Baltimore, it's not that shocking if you're at all familiar with much of the rest of the state. Of the 100 highest-median-income counties in the US, 10 of them are in Maryland.
martay
+3
Level 70
Mar 5, 2019
That was probably enough time to actually type all 50 states but instead I decided to think about it like a sucker
Bdubz
+2
Level 43
Jul 7, 2019
I never ever would've guessed Maryland
eatyourbroccoli
+2
Level 35
Nov 4, 2019
Hi I really can't spell Massachusetts could you please start accepting wrong spellings pls xoxo im your biggest fan

mvh eatyourbroccoli

MindBlank
+2
Level 49
Nov 4, 2019
Oh! So close! Lol. Didn't guess Alaska.
kinjapan
+3
Level 72
Nov 5, 2019
Massachusetts, my old foe. Will I ever learn to spell you right?
RKS
+2
Level 65
Nov 5, 2019
Can someone explain to me what is so special about maryland? seems substantially higher than the rest, and as a European I have no idea what Maryland is known for, what industries?

Thanks!

Quizmaster
+5
Level ∞
Nov 5, 2019
The federal government and government contractors employ a significant percentage of people in Maryland.
andyjohn
+3
Level 34
Nov 5, 2019
done in 25 seconds great quiz thanks
WhiteSauce
+1
Level 25
May 14, 2021
my strategy was just to start naming all the old money states first, worked pretty well lol
daQuokka
+2
Level 67
Sep 24, 2021
In my opinion there is too much time, I managed to get all of them but only after guessing over 40 states.
XYU
+1
Level 62
Jan 5, 2022
FORGOT TO TRY ALASKA AND HAWAII ARGHHHH
ZeldaQuizzer
+1
Level 60
Jan 5, 2022
SAMEEEEEEEEE
kitshef
+4
Level 85
Jan 5, 2022
Mode would be much more interesting than median.
AustinWiebe
+1
Level 22
Jan 6, 2022
I second that
Quizmaster
+1
Level ∞
Sep 15, 2023
All states: 0
SpartanLlama
+2
Level 70
Jan 6, 2022
Eyy Maryland represent
ed1969
+2
Level 72
Jan 7, 2022
New Jersey is proof that money can't buy class.
Lagos1734
+1
Level 33
Apr 11, 2022
I spelled California and Connecticut wrong the first time but I got them all right the second time! Greetings from Wyoming, a state that does in fact exist
YHAT
+1
Level 19
May 2, 2022
Got all except New Hampshire. I always forget about New Hampshire
EvanAviator
+1
Level 59
Sep 16, 2023
rude
SpartanLlama
+1
Level 70
May 8, 2023
7 seconds remaining
wkrpnyc
+1
Level 82
Sep 16, 2023
To learn to spell Massachusetts, I recommend living on Massachusetts Avenue for a few years. It helps a lot.
Hawke
+1
Level 85
Sep 17, 2023
I think "Top 10 U.S. States by Median Income" --without the Richest is a more fitting title. Just because the median income of State A is higher than that of State B doesn't necessarily mean that the average person is richer or wealthier in A than in B, as the cost of living tends to be higher in states with higher median income.
JeromesNiece
+1
Level 73
Sep 30, 2023
Cost-of-living-adjusted top 10 states:

1. Utah: $86,824

2. New Jersey: $86,254

3. Minnesota: $86,128

4. Colorado: $85,212

5. Virginia: $83,697

6. Illinois: $83,288

7. Georgia: $81,564

8. Delaware: $79,549

9. Washington: $79,053

10. Kansas: $79,042

Full list here.

RobNobody
+1
Level 78
Nov 1, 2023
As someone who lives in Baltimore, it's hilarious to see everyone shocked about Maryland being near the top of the list. Places like Howard and Montgomery Counties are notoriously full of rich people, largely either working in the medical fields, for/contracting for the federal government, or at Lockheed Martin.
dumBunny
+1
Level 54
Nov 1, 2023
After completing the quiz (missed 2) I still have no idea why these are the top 10! No ah-ha moments on this one.
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