Here’s how much money you need to earn to be in the top 1% in every U.S. state
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Being considered rich isn’t just about how much money you make, it’s where you live, too.

State by state, the incomes the top 1% of earners in the U.S. bring in vary by over a half million dollars, according to a new analysis of 2022 incomes by personal finance website SmartAsset.

To be in the top 1% of earners in Connecticut, residents need an adjusted gross income of at least $955,261. However, in West Virginia, they only need to earn an AGI of $374,712 to be part of the top 1%.

For comparison, the median income for U.S. households overall is under $70,000, with only 10% of households earning more than $200,000, according to SmartAsset.

Coastal states like New York and California tend to have the highest earners, while top earners in more rural states like Mississippi and Arkansas make less. Only 12 states require annual earnings less than $500,000 to be considered in the top 1%.

To calculate these numbers, the analysis updated 2018 income data from the Internal Revenue Service using 2022 Consumer Price Index data to account for inflation. 

Below are the incomes needed to be part of both the top 1% and top 5% of earners in each state. States are listed in descending order, starting with the state with the highest income threshold for the top 1%.

Connecticut

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New York

California

Washington

Colorado

Florida

Illinois

Texas

Virginia

Wyoming

New Hampshire

Maryland

Minnesota

Pennsylvania

Georgia

North Dakota

Utah

Nevada

North Carolina

Oregon

South Dakota

Arizona

Rhode Island

Kansas

Tennessee

Alaska

Delaware

Wisconsin

Montana

Michigan

Nebraska

Idaho

South Carolina

Vermont

Missouri

Ohio

Louisiana

Hawaii

Maine

Oklahoma

Iowa

Indiana

Alabama

Kentucky

Arkansas

New Mexico

Mississippi

West Virginia