How Do You Stack Up To the Average Income in Your State?

Understanding what the average income is in your state can help you determine if you’re ahead of the curve or behind it when it comes to your own salary. Averages are typically measured in two ways: mean and median. Mean or “average” income takes the total amount of earnings across a sample and divides it by the number of participants. Median income, on the other hand, is the midway point of a sample, with half the people sampled earning above the median and half earning less.

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The difference can be significant. High earners can skew the average income much higher than the median income. To use a simple example, if two earners make $20,000, one makes $40,000 and two make $120,000, the median income is $40,000. However, the average is $64,000. Thus, depending on how you measure “average” income, the figures can be highly variable. This differential can be seen in terms of the U.S. as a whole, where the average family household income is $88,607 but the median is just $62,843.

Regional differences can also play a huge role in average income. States with higher costs typically also have higher average wages. However, some states have higher wages overall regardless of typical expenses. For example, California is regarded as a high-cost state, and average salaries top $106,000. However, Minnesota is not generally considered an expensive place to live, yet average salaries top $93,000 in the state, far above the national average income of $88,607.

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To help get the black-and-white figures for worker income in every U.S. state, GOBankingRates conducted a study using five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey. Both mean and median state income figures were tallied. Results are presented in alphabetical order, from Alabama to Wyoming. 

Data points like these can be an important step in understanding how your income measures up to the typical American’s.

Last updated: Sept. 20, 2021

Alabama

• Average household income: $69,842
• Median household income: $50,536

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Alaska

• Average household income: $98,606
• Median household income: $77,640

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Arizona

• Average household income: $80,779
• Median household income: $58,945

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Arkansas

• Average household income: $66,557
• Median household income: $47,597

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California

• Average household income: $106,916
• Median household income: $75,235

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Colorado

• Average household income: $96,970
• Median household income: $72,331

Connecticut

• Average household income: $113,031
• Median household income: $78,444

Delaware

• Average household income: $90,092
• Median household income: $68,287

District of Columbia

• Average household income: $127,890
• Median household income: $86,420

Florida

• Average household income: $80,286
• Median household income: $55,660

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Georgia

• Average household income: $82,406
• Median household income: $58,700

Hawaii

• Average household income: $103,780
• Median household income: $81,275

Idaho

• Average household income: $73,810
• Median household income: $55,785

Illinois

• Average household income: $92,395
• Median household income: $65,886

Indiana

• Average household income: $75,025
• Median household income: $56,303

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Iowa

• Average household income: $78,411
• Median household income: $60,523

Kansas

• Average household income: $80,009
• Median household income: $59,597

Kentucky

• Average household income: $70,144
• Median household income: $50,589

Louisiana

• Average household income: $71,001
• Median household income: $49,469

Maine

• Average household income: $76,227
• Median household income: $57,918

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Maryland

• Average household income: $111,417
• Median household income: $84,805

Massachusetts

• Average household income: $111,498
• Median household income: $81,215

Michigan

• Average household income: $78,400
• Median household income: $57,144

Minnesota

• Average household income: $93,925
• Median household income: $71,306

Mississippi

• Average household income: $62,835
• Median household income: $45,081

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Missouri

• Average household income: $76,060
• Median household income: $55,461

Montana

• Average household income: $74,190
• Median household income: $54,970

Nebraska

• Average household income: $80,208
• Median household income: $61,439

Nevada

• Average household income: $81,496
• Median household income: $60,365

New Hampshire

• Average household income: $99,165
• Median household income: $76,768

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New Jersey

• Average household income: $114,691
• Median household income: $82,545

New Mexico

• Average household income: $69,077
• Median household income: $49,754

New York

• Average household income: $101,945
• Median household income: $68,486

North Carolina

• Average household income: $76,940
• Median household income: $54,602

North Dakota

• Average household income: $85,476
• Median household income: $64,894

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Ohio

• Average household income: $76,958
• Median household income: $56,602

Oklahoma

• Average household income: $72,695
• Median household income: $52,919

Oregon

• Average household income: $84,258
• Median household income: $62,818

Pennsylvania

• Average household income: $84,849
• Median household income: $61,744

Rhode Island

• Average household income: $89,093
• Median household income: $67,167

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South Carolina

• Average household income: $73,520
• Median household income: $53,199

South Dakota

• Average household income: $76,240
• Median household income: $58,275

Tennessee

• Average household income: $74,750
• Median household income: $53,320

Texas

• Average household income: $87,260
• Median household income: $61,874

Utah

• Average household income: $91,292
• Median household income: $71,621

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Vermont

• Average household income: $81,233
• Median household income: $61,973

Virginia

• Average household income: $101,746
• Median household income: $74,222

Washington

• Average household income: $98,983
• Median household income: $73,775

West Virginia

• Average household income: $63,680
• Median household income: $46,711

Wisconsin

• Average household income: $80,674
• Median household income: $61,747

Wyoming

• Average household income: $81,880
• Median household income: $64,049

About the Author

Daria Uhlig

Daria Uhlig is a personal finance, real estate and travel writer and editor with over 25 years of editorial experience. Her work has been featured on The Motley Fool, MSN, AOL, Yahoo! Finance, CNBC and USA Today. Daria studied journalism at the County College of Morris and earned a degree in communications at Centenary University, both in New Jersey.

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