Ranking the states

31. Arizona
> Median household income: $51,492
> Population: 6,828,065 (14th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.1% (8th highest)
> Poverty rate: 17.4% (8th highest)

Arizona’s 2015 annual unemployment rate of 6.1% was the eighth highest in the country.

Matching another trend among low-income states, Arizona also has the eighth highest poverty rate in the country at 17.4%.

The state’s low incomes may be tied to the relatively small share of adults in the state who pursued higher education. Just 27.7% of adults in Arizona have a bachelor’s degree.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/5/
 
30. Maine
> Median household income: $51,494
> Population: 1,329,328 (9th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.4% (17th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.4% (22nd lowest)

Incomes in Maine are relatively low. The typical household in the state earns $51,494 a year, roughly $4,300 less than the typical American household. Low incomes may be due to a large proportion of the state’s workforce being employed in a low-paying industry. In fact, 13.1% of Maine’s workforce is employed in the retail sector, the second highest share in the country.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/6/
 
29. Nevada
> Median household income: $52,431
> Population: 2,890,845 (16th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.7% (the highest)
> Poverty rate: 14.7% (23rd highest)

Nevada’s median household income of $52,431 a year is not a significant improvement from 2014.

Indeed, economic stagnation is a major problem in the state. The 6.7% unemployment rate in 2015 was the worst in the country.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/6/
 
28. South Dakota
> Median household income: $53,017
> Population: 858,469 (5th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 3.1% (3rd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.7% (24th lowest)

The typical South Dakota household earns only $53,017 a year, nearly $2,800 less than the typical American household.


http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/6/
 
27. Kansas
> Median household income: $53,906
> Population: 2,911,641 (17th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.2% (15th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.0% (20th lowest)

The median household income in Kansas increased to $53,906 from $52,556 in 2014. Despite the increase, the typical household in the state makes about $1,900 less than the typical American household.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/6/
 
26. Oregon
> Median household income: $54,148
> Population: 4,028,977 (24th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.7% (15th highest)
> Poverty rate: 15.4% (17th highest)

The typical Oregon household earns $54,148 a year, roughly $1,600 less than the typical American household.

In addition to lower than average incomes, the state faces a high jobless rate and a high food stamp recipiency rate. Last year, 5.7% of workers were unemployed, the 15th highest rate nationally. Even more striking, 18.9% of households currently rely on food stamps, the largest share of any state in the country.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/6/
 
25. Iowa
> Median household income: $54,736
> Population: 3,123,899 (21st lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 3.7% (9th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.2% (17th lowest)

Iowa’s 2015 median household income of $54,736 is effectively unchanged from the previous year, reflecting little improvement in the residents’ standard of living.

Considering that incomes nationwide increased in 2015, state residents are relatively poorer — the typical Iowa household used to earn slightly more than the typical American household, but it now earns about $1,000 less.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/7/
 
24. Nebraska
> Median household income: $54,996
> Population: 1,896,190 (14th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 3.0% (2nd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.6% (19th lowest)

The typical Nebraska household earns $54,996 a year. Though the state’s median household income is nearly $1,000 lower than the corresponding national figure, it is significantly higher than it was in 2014, when the typical Nebraska household earned $52,707.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/7/
 
23. Wisconsin
> Median household income: $55,638
> Population: 5,771,337 (20th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.6% (19th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.1% (15th lowest)


Homes across the state are worth less than homes across the country. The typical Wisconsin home is valued at just $168,300, or more than $20,000 below the national median home value of $194,500.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/7/
 
22. Texas
> Median household income: $55,653
> Population: 27,469,114 (2nd highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.5% (18th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 15.9% (14th highest)

Only 82.4% of adults in Texas have completed high school, the second smallest share of any state in the country.

http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/7/
 
21. Pennsylvania
> Median household income: $55,702
> Population: 12,802,503 (6th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.1% (25th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.2% (21st lowest)

Increasing by about $2,500 from 2014, the $55,702 median household income in Pennsylvania remains roughly in line with the nationwide median income.

Though home values in the state have increased dramatically last year, they remain well below the value of a typical American home. The median home value in the Keystone State is just $170,600, or more than $20,000 below the national median home value of $194,500.




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20. Vermont
> Median household income: $56,990
> Population: 626,042 (2nd lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 3.7% (9th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 10.2% (4th lowest)

The typical Vermont household earns $56,990 a year, roughly $1,200 more than the typical American household.

Poverty is far less common in the Green Mountain State than it is across the country. Only 10.2% of Vermonters live below the poverty line.

Higher incomes and a lower poverty rate across the state is likely partially attributable to higher educational attainment rates. In Vermont, 36.9% of adults have at least a bachelor’s degree, higher than 30.6% of American adults with similar education.





http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/8/
 
19. Rhode Island
> Median household income: $58,073
> Population: 1,056,298 (8th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.0% (10th highest)
> Poverty rate: 13.9% (25th lowest)

The typical Rhode Island household earns $58,073 a year compared to the $55,775 the typical American household earns. While incomes in Rhode Island tend to be slightly higher than they are across the country as a whole, state residents are more likely than the typical American to struggle in other ways.

Economic problems the state faces include a high jobless rate and a high proportion of households relying on food stamps. Last year, 6.0% of workers were unemployed, the 10th highest rate nationally.

Meanwhile, 16.2% of households rely on food stamps, the sixth highest rate.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/8/
 
18. Illinois
> Median household income: $59,588
> Population: 12,859,995 (5th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.9% (12th highest)
> Poverty rate: 13.6% (23rd lowest)

High median incomes and a low poverty rate demonstrate how Illinois has one of the most equitable income distributions in the country.

Illinois’s relatively high education attainment rate partly accounts for high incomes in the area. More than 32.9% of adults had at least a bachelor’s degree last year, compared to 30.6% nationally.




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17. Wyoming
> Median household income: $60,214
> Population: 586,107 (the lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.2% (15th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.1% (10th lowest)

Wyoming was one of only two states to report an uptick in unemployment in 2015 compared to 2014.

A relatively small share of adults in Wyoming are college educated. Only 26.2% of adults in the state have a bachelor’s degree, a considerably smaller share than the 30.6% share of American adults with similar education.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/8/
 
16. North Dakota
> Median household income: $60,557
> Population: 756,927 (4th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 2.7% (the lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.0% (9th lowest)

For the second year in a row, North Dakota’s 2.7% annual unemployment rate was the lowest in the country.

The strong job market across the state contributes to higher incomes. The typical household in the state earns $60,557 a year, nearly $5,000 more than the typical American household.


http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/8/
 
15. New York
> Median household income: $60,850
> Population: 19,795,791 (4th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.3% (23rd highest)
> Poverty rate: 15.4% (17th highest)

While the median household income in New York is relatively high — roughly $5,000 higher than the corresponding national figure — not all state residents are benefiting. Alongside higher incomes is a higher poverty rate.

New York is one of a handful of rich states with a poverty rate above the 14.7% national rate — 15.4% of state residents live in poverty. With higher than average incomes and relatively pervasive poverty, New York has the worst income inequality in the country.



http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/9/
 
14. Delaware
> Median household income: $61,255
> Population: 945,934 (6th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 4.9% (22nd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.4% (18th lowest)

Delaware’s median household income has not increased meaningfully last year, reflecting little improvement in the residents’ standard of living. Still, incomes in the state remain considerably higher than they are across the country.

The median home value in the state of $240,200 is among the higher values nationwide.

Higher educational attainment typically translates to higher incomes. Delaware residents benefit from higher incomes despite having a college attainment rate roughly in line with that of the nation. In Delaware, 30.9% of adults have a bachelor’s degree compared to 30.6% of adults nationwide.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/9/
 
13. Utah
> Median household income: $62,912
> Population: 2,995,919 (20th lowest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 3.5% (5th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.3% (12th lowest)

The typical household in Utah earns $62,912 a year, over $7,000 more than the typical American household. Only 11.3% of state residents live in poverty, well below the 14.7% of American residents who do. With high incomes and a low poverty rate, Utah has the lowest income inequality in the country.

The relative prosperity and equality across the state is likely bolstered by a healthy job market. The state’s 3.5% unemployment rate was one of the lowest in the country in 2015.




http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/9/
 
2. Minnesota
> Median household income: $63,488
> Population: 5,489,594 (21st highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 3.7% (9th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 10.2% (4th lowest)

Higher levels of education typically lead to higher incomes. In Minnesota, where 34.7% of adults have at least a bachelor’s degree compared to 30.6% of adults nationally, incomes are also — predictably — higher.

The typical household in the state earns $63,488 annually, considerably more than the $55,775 the typical American household earns a year.

In addition to higher incomes, poverty is relatively scarce in Minnesota. Only 10.2% of state residents live below the poverty line.




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