{"id":549583,"date":"2026-03-28T02:19:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T02:19:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/549583\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T02:19:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T02:19:17","slug":"how-much-money-it-takes-to-be-rich-in-every-us-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/549583\/","title":{"rendered":"How much money it takes to be rich in every US state"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A new study shows that while being rich is relative, the gap between average earnings and affluence is consistently horrifying.<\/p>\n<p>Amid rising unemployment and inflation, it\u2019s challenging for many Americans to get ahead, let alone get rich, though the dollar definition of the latter varies widely across the country. <\/p>\n<p>Indeed, what makes you a fat cat in Kentucky could mean middle class in Massachusetts. <\/p>\n<p><img style=\"aspect-ratio:1.49926794;display:block\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"38912037\" width=\"885\" height=\"590\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/excited-caucasian-male-entrepreneur-celebrating-124523585.jpg\" alt=\"An excited man with money falling around him.\" class=\"wp-image-38912037\"  \/>What makes you a fat cat in Kentucky could mean middle class in Massachusetts.  BullRun \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneylion.com\/trending\/money\/income-needed-to-crack-the-top-10-percent-in-every-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">MoneyLion<\/a>\u00a0used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics\u2019 2024 American Community Survey to reach its findings, sourcing the household incomes and upper financial limits of each state. <\/p>\n<p>In Mississippi, the average income of the top 5% of residents is $351,488, roughly half of what it takes to be considered wealthy in New York. <\/p>\n<p>While what constitutes a rich person\u2019s income varies across states, wealth disparity remains rock steady. <\/p>\n<p>In Connecticut, which tops the country in the amount of money required to be a top earner, the average income of the top 5% of residents is a staggering 7 times the median income.<\/p>\n<p>Even in West Virginia, which ranks lowest for the dollar amount it takes to be rich, the figure, $345,740, is still nearly 6 times higher than the median income of $60,798. <\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneylion.com\/trending\/money\/income-needed-to-crack-the-top-10-percent-in-every-state\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MoneyLion findings<\/a> come in the wake of two other shocking studies published last year that revealed just how expensive it is to live in the US and New York in particular.<\/p>\n<p><img style=\"aspect-ratio:1.49926794;display:block\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"38912035\" width=\"885\" height=\"590\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/usa-modern-map-federal-states-124522822.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of a blue map of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, with white outlines showing individual state borders.\" class=\"wp-image-38912035\"  \/>While what constitutes a rich person\u2019s income varies across states, wealth disparity remains rock steady.  Bilbo Baggins \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n<p>A\u00a0family of four living in New York state\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/06\/28\/lifestyle\/heres-how-much-money-a-family-of-four-now-needs-to-make-each-year-to-live-comfortably-in-new-york\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">needs to make a staggering $276,973 per year to live comfortably<\/a>, a SmartAsset study from last June found.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how much cash money you need to make to be considered rich in every state, ranked by the average income of the top 5%.<\/p>\n<p>1. Connecticut<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $692,140<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $96,049<\/p>\n<p>2. New York<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $660,664<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $85,820<\/p>\n<p>3. Massachusetts<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $640,976<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $104,828<\/p>\n<p>4. California<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $632,836<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $100,149<\/p>\n<p>5. New Jersey<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $624,759<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $104,294<\/p>\n<p>6. Washington<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $613,761<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $99,389<\/p>\n<p>7. Colorado<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $572,314<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $97,113<\/p>\n<p>8. Hawaii<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $554,337<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $100,745<\/p>\n<p>9. Maryland<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $551,040<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $102,905<\/p>\n<p>10. Virginia<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $545,772<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $92,090<\/p>\n<p>11. New Hampshire<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $526,651<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $99,782<\/p>\n<p>12. Illinois<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $526,497<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $83,211<\/p>\n<p>13. Florida<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $513,319<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $77,735<\/p>\n<p>14. Texas<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $509,433<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $79,721<\/p>\n<p>15. Alaska<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $505,472<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $95,665<\/p>\n<p>16. Nevada<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $498,078<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $81,134<\/p>\n<p>17. Arizona<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $491,192<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $81,486<\/p>\n<p>18. Minnesota<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $490,491<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $87,117<\/p>\n<p>19. Vermont<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $487,703<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $82,730<\/p>\n<p>20. Utah<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $487,185<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $96,658<\/p>\n<p>21. Pennsylvania<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $485,453<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $77,545<\/p>\n<p>22. Georgia<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $485,391<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $79,991<\/p>\n<p>23. Delaware<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $484,587<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $87,534<\/p>\n<p>24. Rhode Island<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $479,720<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $83,504<\/p>\n<p>25. North Carolina<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $476,994<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $73,958<\/p>\n<p>26. Tennessee<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $466,114<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $71,997<\/p>\n<p>27. Oregon<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $462,142<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $85,220<\/p>\n<p>28. Wyoming<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $461,848<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $75,532<\/p>\n<p>29. North Dakota<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $459,933<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $77,871<\/p>\n<p>30. Montana<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $458,810<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $75,340<\/p>\n<p>31. Kansas<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $446,918<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $75,514<\/p>\n<p>32. Michigan<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $440,173<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $72,389<\/p>\n<p>33. Maine<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $439,986<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $76,442<\/p>\n<p>34. Idaho<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $433,141<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $81,166<\/p>\n<p>35. South Dakota<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $431,202<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $76,881<\/p>\n<p>36. Missouri<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $424,120<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $71,589<\/p>\n<p>37. South Carolina<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $424,042<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $72,350<\/p>\n<p>38. Ohio<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $423,457<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $72,212<\/p>\n<p>39. Nebraska<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $422,020<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $76,376<\/p>\n<p>40. Wisconsin<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $417,893<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $77,488<\/p>\n<p>41. Oklahoma<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $407,557<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $66,148<\/p>\n<p>42. Indiana<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $406,352<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $71,959<\/p>\n<p>43. Alabama<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $397,207<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $66,659<\/p>\n<p>44. Louisiana<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $391,326<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $60,986<\/p>\n<p>45. Iowa<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $388,530<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $75,501<\/p>\n<p>46. New Mexico<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $387,689<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $67,816<\/p>\n<p>47. Arkansas<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $385,591<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $62,106<\/p>\n<p>48. Kentucky<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $380,654<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $64,526<\/p>\n<p>49. Mississippi<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $351,488<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $59,127<\/p>\n<p>50. West Virginia<\/p>\n<p>Average income of the top 5%: $345,740<\/p>\n<p>Median household income: $60,798<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new study shows that while being rich is relative, the gap between average earnings and affluence is&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":549584,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[28,101,149,2066,147,3284,1432],"class_list":["post-549583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-economy","tag-lifestyle","tag-money","tag-personal-finance","tag-study-says","tag-wealth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=549583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/549584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=549583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=549583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=549583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}