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Here’s How Much You Need To Earn To Be ‘Rich’ on the West Coast

March 17, 2025

2 min Read

Written by GOBankingRates Staff

Edited by Chris Cluff

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The cost of living varies across the United States, and where you live has major bearing on whether you can consider yourself rich or not.

To understand what it looks like to be wealthy in America, GOBankingRates conducted a study of the top incomes in each state to find out what income is needed to land in the top 20% and the top 5%. The West Coast states, including Hawaii and Alaska, were all in the top 18 — requiring at least $155,000 to land in the top 20%.

Check out how much money you need to be “rich” on the West Coast.

Oregon

The minimum you need to make to be in the top 20%: $155,529
Average income of the top 20%: $269,437
Average income of the top 5%: $470,649

Alaska

The minimum you need to make to be in the top 20%: $169,423
Average income of the top 20%: $270,877
Average income of the top 5%: $445,464

Washington

The minimum you need to make to be in the top 20%: $184,482
Average income of the top 20%: $325,947
Average income of the top 5%: $574,868

Hawaii

The minimum you need to make to be in the top 20%: $186,867
Average income of the top 20%: $310,254
Average income of the top 5%: $526,148

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California

The minimum you need to make to be in the top 20%: $196,525
Average income of the top 20%: $356,382
Average income of the top 5%: $638,872

Methodology: GOBankingRates used the United States Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey income quintile data to find each state’s (1) lowest income to be considered in the top 20% income bracket; (2) the average income of the richest 20% and (3) the average income of the richest 5%. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Feb. 3, 2025.

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