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

How do rich people know when they’re officially rich? A place among the top 5% income earners in their state is a good place to start. The 5-percent club in some states, however, is much, much harder to crack into than in others.

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To determine what it takes to be rich, GOBankingRates used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 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%: $189,695
• Average household income for the top 5%: $311,208
• Average household income for the entire state: $71,478
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $242,208
• Average household income for the top 5%: $387,399
• Average household income for the entire state: $98,504
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 3.9x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $220,936
• Average household income for the top 5%: $367,580
• Average household income for the entire state: $84,438
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $176,997
• Average household income for the top 5%: $315,234
• Average household income for the entire state: $68,219
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $531,014
• Average household income for the entire state: $113,563
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $450,609
• Average household income for the entire state: $103,518
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.4x

Rich vs. Wealthy: What’s the Difference Between the Two?

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $579,711
• Average household income for the entire state: $114,630
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 5.1x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $235,059
• Average household income for the top 5%: $387,937
• Average household income for the entire state: $92,445
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $226,319
• Average household income for the top 5%: $404,254
• Average household income for the entire state: $83,883
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.8x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $233,979
• Average household income for the top 5%: $402,002
• Average household income for the entire state: $86,468
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $423,529
• Average household income for the entire state: $106,247
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $199,218
• Average household income for the top 5%: $325,365
• Average household income for the entire state: $78,975
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.1x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $442,476
• Average household income for the entire state: $95,725
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $194,407
• Average household income for the top 5%: $348,590
• Average household income for the entire state: $78,064
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.5x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $199,328
• Average household income for the top 5%: $339,126
• Average household income for the entire state: $80,267
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $211,256
• Average household income for the top 5%: $350,796
• Average household income for the entire state: $82,270
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $185,241
• Average household income for the top 5%: $333,777
• Average household income for the entire state: $72,215
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $199,417
• Average household income for the top 5%: $336,976
• Average household income for the entire state: $72,658
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $202,639
• Average household income for the top 5%: $327,475
• Average household income for the entire state: $78,303
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $478,927
• Average household income for the entire state: $114,089
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $526,243
• Average household income for the entire state: $117,482
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.5x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $209,099
• Average household income for the top 5%: $356,455
• Average household income for the entire state: $80,681
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $244,552
• Average household income for the top 5%: $406,818
• Average household income for the entire state: $96,995
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $172,337
• Average household income for the top 5%: $304,820
• Average household income for the entire state: $65,081
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $201,541
• Average household income for the top 5%: $345,545
• Average household income for the entire state: $77,885
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $187,867
• Average household income for the top 5%: $350,655
• Average household income for the entire state: $77,320
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.5x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $203,793
• Average household income for the top 5%: $343,133
• Average household income for the entire state: $82,539
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $221,626
• Average household income for the top 5%: $415,695
• Average household income for the entire state: $86,946
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.8x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $412,033
• Average household income for the entire state: $100,882
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.1x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $540,499
• Average household income for the entire state: $119,301
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.5x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $192,480
• Average household income for the top 5%: $314,941
• Average household income for the entire state: $71,591
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $553,773
• Average household income for the entire state: $107,355
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 5.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $213,009
• Average household income for the top 5%: $367,316
• Average household income for the entire state: $80,037
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $220,611
• Average household income for the top 5%: $373,709
• Average household income for the entire state: $85,551
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $204,940
• Average household income for the top 5%: $354,673
• Average household income for the entire state: $79,505
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.5x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $194,523
• Average household income for the top 5%: $352,070
• Average household income for the entire state: $75,537
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $229,747
• Average household income for the top 5%: $365,465
• Average household income for the entire state: $88,449
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.1x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $233,467
• Average household income for the top 5%: $403,160
• Average household income for the entire state: $87,789
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $235,524
• Average household income for the top 5%: $406,567
• Average household income for the entire state: $92,553
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.4x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $204,826
• Average household income for the top 5%: $355,363
• Average household income for the entire state: $78,188
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.5x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $190,156
• Average household income for the top 5%: $317,665
• Average household income for the entire state: $77,650
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.1x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $205,063
• Average household income for the top 5%: $366,578
• Average household income for the entire state: $78,035
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.7x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $241,212
• Average household income for the top 5%: $408,263
• Average household income for the entire state: $89,681
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.6x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $235,835
• Average household income for the top 5%: $403,396
• Average household income for the entire state: $96,415
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $212,823
• Average household income for the top 5%: $343,288
• Average household income for the entire state: $83,015
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.1x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $455,891
• Average household income for the entire state: $105,091
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
• Average household income for the top 5%: $457,171
• Average household income for the entire state: $105,775
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $171,816
• Average household income for the top 5%: $280,030
• Average household income for the entire state: $65,842
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.3x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $202,582
• Average household income for the top 5%: $345,564
• Average household income for the entire state: $82,899
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.2x

• How much you need to be in the top 5%: $199,944
• Average household income for the top 5%: $339,640
• Average household income for the entire state: $83,155
• How much more the average 5% makes than the average person: 4.1x

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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 2019 American Community Survey (ACS). GOBankingRates took the 2019 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 Dec. 2, 2020, and is subject to change.