How Much You Need To Be in the Top 5% in Every State

Rich is a term that might seem rather vague when it comes to wealth — what seems rich to one person might not to another, and money can go a lot further in some states than others.

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One way to determine what equals “rich” is to look at the top 5% income earners in any given state. The 5% club in some states, however, is much, much harder to crack into than in others.

To determine what it takes to be rich, GOBankingRates used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey to determine the average income for each state compared to that of its top-earning 5%.

Here’s a look at how much you need to be “rich” in each state, and how much more you’ll earn than the average person when you get there.

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $202,158
• Average household income for the top 5%: $336,788
• Median household income for the entire state: $54,943
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.1x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $394,694
• Median household income for the entire state: $80,287
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 4.9x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $233,908
• Average household income for the top 5%: $395,620
• Average household income for the entire state: $65,913
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 6.0x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $193,240
• Average household income for the top 5%: $344,470
• Average household income for the entire state: $52,123
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 6.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%:  $555,007
• Median household income for the entire state: $84,097
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $466,181
• Median household income for the entire state: $80,184
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.8x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $602,707
• Median household income for the entire state: $83,572
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 7.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $245,145
• Average household income for the top 5%: $420,859
• Average household income for the entire state: $72,724
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 5.8x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $670,768
• Average household income for the entire state: $93,547
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 7.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $236,080
• Average household income for the top 5%: $431,870
• Average household income for the entire state: $61,777
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 7.0x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $245,320
• Average household income for the top 5%: $422,018
• Average household income for the entire state: $65,030
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 6.5x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $459,305
• Median household income for the entire state: $88,005
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $212,170
• Average household income for the top 5%: $360,622
• Median household income for the entire state: $63,377
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $466,713
• Median household income for the entire state: $72,563
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $205,154
• Average household income for the top 5%: $347,661
• Median household income for the entire state: $61,944
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $210,930
• Average household income for the top 5%: $352,704
• Median household income for the entire state: $65,429
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $220,993
• Average household income for the top 5%: $383,038
• Median household income for the entire state: $64,521
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.9x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $197,902
• Average household income for the top 5%: $350,411
• Median household income for the entire state: $55,454
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $210,664
• Average household income for the top 5%: $357,026
• Median household income for the entire state: $53,571
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $211,731
• Average household income for the top 5%: $359,776
• Median household income for the entire state: $63,182
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $503,597
• Median household income for the entire state: $91,431
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.5x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $558,616
• Median household income for the entire state: $89,026
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $222,336
• Average household income for the top 5%: $376,426
• Median household income for the entire state: $63,202
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.0x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $441,274
• Median household income for the entire state: $77,706
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $179,799
• Average household income for the top 5%: $308,523
• Median household income for the entire state: $49,111
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $215,289
• Average household income for the top 5%: $371,277
• Median household income for the entire state: $61,043
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.1x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $209,435
• Average household income for the top 5%: $370,234
• Median household income for the entire state: $60,560
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.1x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $216,626
• Average household income for the top 5%: $378,679
• Median household income for the entire state: $66,644
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $227,954
• Average household income for the top 5%: $410,161
• Median household income for the entire state: $65,686
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $440,829
• Median household income for the entire state: $83,449
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $562,886
• Median household income for the entire state: $89,703
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $197,251
• Average household income for the top 5%: $323,568
• Median household income for the entire state: $54,020
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.0x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $574,063
• Median household income for the entire state: $75,157
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 7.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $228,071
• Average household income for the top 5%: $390,822
• Median household income for the entire state: $60,516
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.5x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $224,445
• Average household income for the top 5%: $380,261
• Median household income for the entire state: $68,131
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $216,003
• Average household income for the top 5%: $370,964
• Median household income for the entire state: $61,938
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.0x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $201,605
• Average household income for the top 5%: $348,180
• Median household income for the entire state: $56,956
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.1x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $245,626
• Average household income for the top 5%: $404,468
• Median household income for the entire state: $70,084
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.8x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $246,367
• Average household income for the top 5%: $417,872
• Median household income for the entire state: $67,587
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $424,473
• Median household income for the entire state: $74,489
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $214,275
• Average household income for the top 5%: $374,427
• Median household income for the entire state: $58,234
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $202,777
• Average household income for the top 5%: $358,060
• Median household income for the entire state: $63,920
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $215,861
• Average household income for the top 5%: $389,257
• Median household income for the entire state: $58,516
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $427,006
• Median household income for the entire state: $67,321
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $247,341
• Average household income for the top 5%: $421,379
• Median household income for the entire state: $79,133
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $230,309
• Average household income for the top 5%: $376,807
• Median household income for the entire state: $67,674
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $486,006
• Median household income for the entire state: $80,615
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 6.0x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $487,950
• Median household income for the entire state: $82,400
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.9x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $183,110
• Average household income for the top 5%: $299,882
• Median household income for the entire state: $50,884
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.9x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $214,889
• Average household income for the top 5%: $371,015
• Median household income for the entire state: $67,080
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.5x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $209,639
• Average household income for the top 5%: $372,110
• Median household income for the entire state: $68,002
• How much more the average 5% makes than the median: 5.5x

Andrew Lisa and John Csiszar contributed to the reporting of this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates found how much a household has to make pre-tax to be in the top 5% highest-earning households in each state by analyzing the Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey (ACS). GOBankingRates took the 2021 ACS data on “Household Income Quintile Upper Limits” and found each state’s (1) lower income limit of the top-5 percent of households. Supplemental data compiled includes (2) average household income of the top 5%; (3) average household income for the entire state; and (4) how much more the average 5% household makes than the overall average household in each state. Data is accurate as of May 31, 2023 and is subject to change.