Tim Kiser // Wikimedia
1 / 51#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.
RELATED: Click here to read about the wealthiest counties in the U.S.
NatalieMaynor // Flickr
2 / 51#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
Ken L. // Flickr
3 / 51#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
Ken L. // Flickr
4 / 51#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
The Pug Father // Flickr
5 / 51#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
IIP Photo Archive // Flickr
6 / 51#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
James Willamor // Flickr
7 / 51#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
Anthony Quintano // Flickr
8 / 51#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
JoshWest.com // Flickr
9 / 51#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
Jasssmit // Wikimedia Commons
10 / 51#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
Pruhter // Wikimedia Commons
11 / 51#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
Bob P. B. // Flickr
12 / 51#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
Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce // Flickr
13 / 51#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
John Ashley // Flickr
14 / 51#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
Bruce W. Stracener // Wikimedia Commons
15 / 51#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
Robbt // Flickr
16 / 51#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
M.O. Stevens // Wikimedia Commons
17 / 51#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
likeaduck // Flickr
18 / 51#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
Alan Stark // Flickr
19 / 51#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
Kaldari // Wikimedia Commons
20 / 51#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
Paxson Woelber // Flickr
21 / 51#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
Sam valadi // Flickr
22 / 51#30. Missouri
Average income for top 1%: $833,823
Average income for bottom 99%: $41,641
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 20
Bryan Debus // Flickr
23 / 51#29. Michigan
Average income for top 1%: $834,008
Average income for bottom 99%: $37,896
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 22
tableatny // Flickr
24 / 51#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
Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau // Flickr
25 / 51#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
Pat Hawks // Flickr
26 / 51#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
Reading Tom // Flickr
27 / 51#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
Miwdke // Wikimedia Commons
28 / 51#24. Wisconsin
Average income for top 1%: $888,121
Average income for bottom 99%: $46,669
Ratio of 1% income to 99% income: 19
Jordan // Flickr
29 / 51#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
Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau // Wikimedia Commons
30 / 51#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
Garrett // Wikimedia Commons
31 / 51#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
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
32 / 51#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
Jim // Wikimedia Commons
33 / 51#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
John Phelan // Wikimedia Commons
34 / 51#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
Joe Wolf // Flickr
35 / 51#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
Seabear70 // Wikimedia Commons
36 / 51#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
AlexiusHoratius // Wikimedia Commons
37 / 51#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
Lonni Besançon // Flickr
38 / 51#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
Larry Johnson // Flickr
39 / 51#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
Tony Webster // Flickr
40 / 51#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
UltraView Admin // Flickr
41 / 51#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
Tony Webster // Flickr
42 / 51#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
IIP Photo Archive // Flickr
43 / 51#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
IIP Photo Archive // Flickr
44 / 51#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
Joe Parks // Wikimedia Commons
45 / 51#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
Ken L. // Flickr
46 / 51#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
Sebastian Bass // Flickr
47 / 51#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
Ryan Harvey // Flickr
48 / 51#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
John St John // Flickr
49 / 51#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
Michel Rathwell // Flickr
50 / 51#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
JJBers // Flickr
51 / 51#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
