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#51. West Virginia
Average income for top 1%: $488,634
Average income for bottom 99%: $34,407
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 14.2
What the top 1% earn in every state
The average American family earns approximately $56,644 annually, which may not sound too bad to some, but a closer look at the data reveals that if the top 1% of earners—who collectively rake in an average of $1,153,293 every year—are removed from the equation, the rest of the country is left with an average annual income of only $45,567, a staggeringly lower figure, which accounts for the extra few million people accumulating all that additional wealth.
While there exists a great deal of moral subjectivity as to whether or not action should be taken to combat the nation's all-time highest levels of income inequality, there is no debate as to the fact that it is taking place. The wealthiest 1% of Americans have nearly twice as much as the bottom 90% combined.
Referencing a 2016 report from the Economic Policy Institute, Stacker composed a list of the states whose wealthiest 1% earn the highest average annual incomes. For reference, the average earnings for the bottom 99% of residents, as well as the ratio comparing total incomes of the top 1% and everybody else, have been provided for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read on to learn how severe income inequality is in every state.
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#50. Mississippi
Average income for top 1%: $565,813
Average income for bottom 99%: $33,383
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 16.9
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#49. New Mexico
Average income for top 1%: $593,739
Average income for bottom 99%: $37,995
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 15.6
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#48. Maine
Average income for top 1%: $612,494
Average income for bottom 99%: $41,165
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 14.9
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#47. Kentucky
Average income for top 1%: $619,585
Average income for bottom 99%: $37,371
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 16.6
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#46. Alabama
Average income for top 1%: $665,097
Average income for bottom 99%: $38,854
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 17.1
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#45. South Carolina
Average income for top 1%: $668,739
Average income for bottom 99%: $36,950
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 18.1
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#44. Hawaii
Average income for top 1%: $690,073
Average income for bottom 99%: $51,033
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 13.5
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#43. Iowa
Average income for top 1%: $714,758
Average income for bottom 99%: $51,248
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 13.9
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#42. Indiana
Average income for top 1%: $717,688
Average income for bottom 99%: $43,426
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 16.5
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#41. Montana
Average income for top 1%: $730,864
Average income for bottom 99%: $42,013
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 17.4
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#40. Vermont
Average income for top 1%: $735,607
Average income for bottom 99%: $45,719
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 16.1
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#39. Idaho
Average income for top 1%: $738,278
Average income for bottom 99%: $45,254
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 16.3
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#38. North Carolina
Average income for top 1%: $745,686
Average income for bottom 99%: $42,162
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 17.7
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#37. Arkansas
Average income for top 1%: $750,101
Average income for bottom 99%: $36,421
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 20.6
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#36. Ohio
Average income for top 1%: $752,582
Average income for bottom 99%: $42,391
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 17.8
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#35. Oregon
Average income for top 1%: $754,431
Average income for bottom 99%: $40,719
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 18.5
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#34. Delaware
Average income for top 1%: $768,109
Average income for bottom 99%: $48,371
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 15.9
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#33. Arizona
Average income for top 1%: $784,469
Average income for bottom 99%: $38,354
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 20.5
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#32. Tennessee
Average income for top 1%: $820,373
Average income for bottom 99%: $40,156
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 20.4
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#31. Alaska
Average income for top 1%: $833,117
Average income for bottom 99%: $63,226
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 13.2
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#30. Missouri
Average income for top 1%: $833,823
Average income for bottom 99%: $41,641
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 20
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#29. Michigan
Average income for top 1%: $834,008
Average income for bottom 99%: $37,896
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 22
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#28. Georgia
Average income for top 1%: $857,728
Average income for bottom 99%: $40,095
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 21.4
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#27. Louisiana
Average income for top 1%: $859,619
Average income for bottom 99%: $41,600
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 20.7
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#26. Nebraska
Average income for top 1%: $872,892
Average income for bottom 99%: $57,076
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 15.3
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#25. Rhode Island
Average income for top 1%: $884,609
Average income for bottom 99%: $47,545
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 18.6
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#24. Wisconsin
Average income for top 1%: $888,121
Average income for bottom 99%: $46,669
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 19
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#23. Pennsylvania
Average income for top 1%: $926,051
Average income for bottom 99%: $45,781
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 20.2
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#22. Oklahoma
Average income for top 1%: $930,201
Average income for bottom 99%: $44,849
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 20.7
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#21. Utah
Average income for top 1%: $940,662
Average income for bottom 99%: $50,367
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 18.7
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#20. Kansas
Average income for top 1%: $981,279
Average income for bottom 99%: $50,367
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 19.5
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#19. Virginia
Average income for top 1%: $987,607
Average income for bottom 99%: $55,743
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 17.7
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#18. New Hampshire
Average income for top 1%: $1,011,141
Average income for bottom 99%: $56,475
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 17.9
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#17. Maryland
Average income for top 1%: $1,024,110
Average income for bottom 99%: $60,172
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 17
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#16. South Dakota
Average income for top 1%: $1,025,091
Average income for bottom 99%: $53,213
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 19.3
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#15. Minnesota
Average income for top 1%: $1,035,928
Average income for bottom 99%: $52,689
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 19.7
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#14. Washington
Average income for top 1%: $1,100,186
Average income for bottom 99%: $50,372
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 21.8
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#13. Colorado
Average income for top 1%: $1,101,214
Average income for bottom 99%: $54,809
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 20.1
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#12. Illinois
Average income for top 1%: $1,207,547
Average income for bottom 99%: $48,684
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 24.8
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#11. Florida
Average income for top 1%: $1,265,774
Average income for bottom 99%: $36,530
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 34.7
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#10. North Dakota
Average income for top 1%: $1,282,551
Average income for bottom 99%: $61,178
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 21
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#9. Texas
Average income for top 1%: $1,301,618
Average income for bottom 99%: $48,350
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 26.9
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#8. Nevada
Average income for top 1%: $1,386,448
Average income for bottom 99%: $36,169
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 38.3
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#7. California
Average income for top 1%: $1,411,375
Average income for bottom 99%: $48,899
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 28.9
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#6. New Jersey
Average income for top 1%: $1,453,741
Average income for bottom 99%: $57,447
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 25.3
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#5. District of Columbia
Average income for top 1%: $1,531,432
Average income for bottom 99%: $63,100
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 24.3
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#4. Massachusetts
Average income for top 1%: $1,692,079
Average income for bottom 99%: $56,115
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 30.2
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#3. New York
Average income for top 1%: $2,006,632
Average income for bottom 99%: $44,163
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 45.4
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#2. Wyoming
Average income for top 1%: $2,118,167
Average income for bottom 99%: $52,196
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 40.6
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#1. Connecticut
Average income for top 1%: $2,402,339
Average income for bottom 99%: $56,445
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 42.6
