Ranking the states

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50. Mississippi
> Median household income: $40,593
> Population: 2,992,333 (19th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.5% (4th highest)
> Poverty rate: 22.0% (the highest)

With 2015 median household income unchanged from 2014, Mississippi is once again the poorest state in the country.

The typical Mississippi household earned $40,593 last year, well below the national median income of $55,775.

Mississippi also has the highest poverty rate in the country, with 22.0% of residents living below the poverty line.

A relatively large share of state households are very poor.

Some 11.5% earn $10,000 or less annually, the highest extreme poverty rate of any state.

Similarly, there are relatively few affluent households in the state. Only 2.1% of Mississippi households earn $200,000 or more a year, the lowest such share.


http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/2/
 
49. Arkansas
> Median household income: $41,995
> Population: 2,978,204 (18th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.2% (24th highest)
> Poverty rate: 19.1% (4th highest)

Goods and services in Arkansas cost less on average than almost anywhere else in the country.

While the relative affordability certainly helps low income households, state residents are still quite poor.

The typical household earns $41,995 a year, second lowest after Mississippi.

19.1% of people live in poverty, the fourth highest poverty rate of any state.

Homes tend to have relatively low values to match the low incomes.

At just $120,700, the typical home in Arkansas is valued at more than $70,000 below the national benchmark of $194,500.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/2/
 
48. West Virginia
> Median household income: $42,019
> Population: 1,844,128 (13th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.7% (the highest)
> Poverty rate: 17.9% (7th highest)

The typical West Virginia household earns $42,019, compared to the national median income of $55,775.

Individuals struggling to find work who live on little to no income contribute to low household incomes in West Virginia.

6.7% of workers in the state were unemployed in 2015, the highest annual unemployment rate of any state.

West Virginia’s population is one of the largest recipients of government assistance programs such as SNAP, which each year help millions of people cope with poverty.

16.0% of households in the state use food stamps.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/2/
 
47. Alabama
> Median household income: $44,765
> Population: 4,858,979 (24th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.1% (8th highest)
> Poverty rate: 18.5% (5th highest)

Alabama is one of the poorest states in the nation with a median household income of $44,765 a year.

Alabama’s poverty rate of 18.5% is among the highest of all states.

Last year, 6.1% of workers were unemployed, the eighth highest jobless rate of any state.

With low incomes, home values are also low in Alabama. The median home is worth $134,100, or more than $60,000 below the national benchmark of $194,500.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/2/
 
46. Kentucky
> Median household income: $45,215
> Population: 4,425,092 (25th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.4% (20th highest)
> Poverty rate: 18.5% (5th highest)

Kentucky’s median household income of $45,215 a year has increased since 2014, when the median income, adjusted for inflation, was $43,014 a year. Residents are still quite poor, however.

Kentucky’s poverty rate of 18.5% is the fifth highest poverty rate of all states.

In Kentucky, just 23.3% of adults have a bachelor’s degree, considerably lower than the national college attainment rate of 30.6%.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/2/
 
45. New Mexico
> Median household income: $45,382
> Population: 2,085,109 (15th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.6% (3rd highest)
> Poverty rate: 20.4% (2nd highest)

New Mexico’s 2015 median household income remained unchanged from 2014, reflecting little improvement in the residents’ standard of living.

The typical New Mexico household earns $45,382 a year, well below the national median income of $55,775.

Like in many of the poorest states, poverty also continues to be a major problem in New Mexico. The state’s poverty rate of 20.4% is the second highest in the country.

Incomes do not necessarily rise in healthy job markets, but high unemployment has a negative impact on household incomes. In 2015, 6.6% of New Mexico workers were unemployed, the third highest rate nationally.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/2/
 
44. Louisiana
> Median household income: $45,727
> Population: 4,670,724 (25th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.3% (6th highest)
> Poverty rate: 19.6% (3rd highest)

In addition to one of the lowest median household incomes, Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the country at 19.6%. Further, some state households earn incomes well below the poverty level.

As many as one in 10 households earn $10,000 or less a year, the second highest such share of any state.

At 6.3%, the state’s 2015 unemployment rate was sixth highest of all states.

Statewide, homes are valued at just $155,600, or more than $30,000 below the national benchmark of $194,500.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/3/
 
43. South Carolina
> Median household income: $47,238
> Population: 4,896,146 (23rd highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.0% (10th highest)
> Poverty rate: 16.6% (11th highest)

The typical household in South Carolina makes $47,238 a year, eighth lowest of all states.

m 2014, when the median income, adjusted for inflation, was $45,277. Like in many of the poorest states, poverty remains a major problem. South Carolina’s poverty rate of 16.6% is 11th highest of any state.

In 2015, 6.0% of workers were unemployed, the 10 highest rate nationally.

Homes values in South Carolina, at just $148,600, are more than $40,000 below the national median home value of $194,500. While the low home values mirror the state’s low incomes, they also speak to the low cost of living in the state, which on average is nearly 10% cheaper than across the nation.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/3/
 
42. Tennessee
> Median household income: $47,275
> Population: 6,600,299 (17th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.8% (14th highest)
> Poverty rate: 16.7% (10th highest)

As was the case in most states, Tennessee’s median household income of $47,275 increased significantly from 2014, when the median income was $44,403. Still, Tennesseans are not wealthy.

In addition to one of the lowest median household incomes, 16.7% of people live in poverty, the 10th highest poverty rate of all states.

In Tennessee, 17.6% of households rely on food stamps, a higher percentage than in all but two other states.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/3/
 
41. North Carolina
> Median household income: $47,830
> Population: 10,042,802 (9th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.7% (15th highest)
> Poverty rate: 16.4% (12th highest)

North Carolina is one of the poorest states in the nation with a median household income of $47,830 a year. This figure is notably higher than in 2014, however, when median income, adjusted for inflation, was $46,585.

Despite the improvement, poverty is still high in the state. At 16.4%, the state’s poverty rate is 12th highest of all states.

Low incomes tend to accompany low home values — and North Carolina is a case in point. Statewide, homes are valued at just $160,100, or more than $30,000 below the national median value of $194,500.


http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/3/
 
40. Idaho
> Median household income: $48,275
> Population: 1,654,930 (12th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.1% (12th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 15.1% (20th highest)

Idaho households tend to earn incomes well below the national median income of $55,775. In Idaho, only 2.7% of households earn $200,000 or more, nearly the lowest of any state. By contrast, 5.8% of households nationwide earn such high incomes.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/4/
 
39. Oklahoma
> Median household income: $48,568
> Population: 3,911,338 (23rd lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.2% (15th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 16.1% (13th highest)

The typical Oklahoma household earns $48,568 in a year, well below the national median income of $55,775.

With lower incomes, home values are also low. Statewide, the median home value is just $126,800, more than $60,000 below the national median home value of $194,500.

In Oklahoma, fewer than one in four adults have a bachelor’s degree, one of the lowest proportions of all states.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/4/
 
38. Florida
> Median household income: $49,426
> Population: 20,271,272 (3rd highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.4% (20th highest)
> Poverty rate: 15.7% (16th highest)

The typical Florida household earns $49,426, well below the national median income of $55,775.

The housing crisis slammed Florida harder than most states. While home values in the state rose from $162,700 in 2014 to $179,800 in 2015, the value remains $10,000 below the national median value of $194,500.

Wages rose across the nation and in most states, but the distribution of that income has worsened. Income distribution in Florida is especially unequal — the Gini coefficient pegs the state fifth worst for income inequality.


http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/4/
 
37. Montana
> Median household income: $49,509
> Population: 1,032,949 (7th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.1% (12th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 14.6% (24th highest)

The typical Montana household earns $49,509, well below the national median income of $55,775.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/4/
 
36. Missouri
> Median household income: $50,238
> Population: 6,083,672 (18th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.0% (24th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 14.8% (21st highest)

Missouri’s unemployment rate is slightly below the national jobless rate of 5.2%.

As in many other low income states, Missouri’s median home value of $147,800 is more than $40,000 below the national benchmark of $194,500.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/4/
 
35. Indiana
> Median household income: $50,532
> Population: 6,619,680 (16th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.8% (20th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 14.5% (25th highest)

The typical Indiana household earns about $5,000 less than the national median income level.

Low incomes often occur in places with low levels of education. In Indiana, 24.9% of adults have a bachelor’s degree, one of the lowest college attainment rates in the country and more than 5 percentage points below the national rate.

Statewide, homes have relatively low values at a median of just $131,000, or more than $60,000 below the national median home value of $194,500.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/5/
 
34. Ohio
> Median household income: $51,075
> Population: 11,613,423 (7th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.9% (22nd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 14.8% (21st highest)

Ohio has a median household income of $51,075, about $4,700 less than the national median income.

Places with lower incomes tend to have less valuable real estate. In Ohio, homes are valued relatively low at just $136,400, or more than $50,000 below the national benchmark of $194,500.

Low incomes in the state may be tied to the relatively small share of adults with a college education. In Ohio, just 26.8% of adults have a bachelor’s degree.


http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/5/
 
33. Michigan
> Median household income: $51,084
> Population: 9,922,576 (10th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.4% (20th highest)
> Poverty rate: 15.8% (15th highest)

Michigan’s median household income of $51,084.

In many states with lower household incomes, poverty is also a problem. Michigan has the 15th highest poverty rate in the country at 15.8% of residents.

At 5.4%, the state had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country in 2015.

Low incomes often correspond with low educational attainment, and Michigan is no exception. In Michigan, 27.8% of adults have a bachelor’s degree compared to a national college attainment rate of 30.6%.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/5/
 
32. Georgia
> Median household income: $51,244
> Population: 10,214,860 (8th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.9% (12th highest)
> Poverty rate: 17.0% (9th highest)

Georgia’s poverty rate of 17.0% is ninth highest in the country.

The 14.1% of state households relying on food stamps is the 15th highest such share in the country.

The state’s low incomes are also likely tied to its relatively weak job market.

At 5.9%, the state had one of the higher unemployment rates in the country in 2015.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/5/
 
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