On this page is a 2020 income percentile by state calculator for the United States. It works for either individual income or household income, or alternatively only to compare salary (wage income).
Enter pre-tax income earned between January and December 2019 and select a state and income type to compare an income percentile.
Optional: You can also choose comparison states and show the income curve head to head. Find the research backing this tool in the average income by state post.
After: See the income percentile by city calculator for metro area. We also have an individual income calculator and household income calculator.
Household Income by State: Extremes of the Average, Median and Top 1%
Countrywide in 2020, median, average, and top 1% household income were $68,400.00, $97,973.61, and $531,020.00.
That block of statistics does hide information. Some of that I'll alleviate in this post: aggregating every state hides some of the disparities between states. For example, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia all have very high incomes. Mississippi and New Mexico are on the lower side.
- Highest Average Household Income: Washington, D.C. – $134,385.32
- Highest Average Household Income (Not D.C.): Massachusetts – $127,460.73
- Highest Median Household Income: Maryland – $95,310.00
- Highest Top 1% Household Income: Washington, D.C. – $913,312.00
- Highest Top 1% Household Income (Not D.C.): Virginia – $698,202.00
- Lowest Average Household Income: Mississippi – $65,648.61
- Lowest Median Household Income: Mississippi – $44,092.00
- Lowest Top 1% Household Income: New Mexico – $300,774.00
Individual Income by State: Standouts of the Average, Median and Top 1%
In the US in 2020, the median individual income, average individual income, and top 1% individual income were $43,206.00, $62,518.13, and $361,020.00.
Heed the warning from above: that information obscures the disparities between workers in various states. Here are some of the extreme income stats from 2020 in the US:
- Highest Average Income: Washington, D.C – $95,567.30
- Highest Average Income (Not D.C.): Massachusetts – $77,199.91
- Highest Median Income: Washington, D.C – $74,500.00
- Highest Median Income (Not D.C.): Massachusetts – $53,017.00
- Highest Top 1% Income: Washington, D.C – $516,875.00
- Highest Top 1% Income (Not D.C.): Oregon – $501,750.00
- Lowest Average Income: Mississippi – $46,953.35
- Lowest Median Income: Mississippi – $32,763.00
- Lowest Top 1% Income: Wyoming – $210,001.00
Source on the 2020 Income Percentile by State Calculator
Sarah Flood, Miriam King, Renae Rodgers, Steven Ruggles and J. Robert Warren. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Current Population Survey: Version 8.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.18128/D030.V8.0
Individual income is a bit more complicated than household – there is a workforce screen. I include people who were in the workforce over the year, folks who worked 1 or more hour per week, and people who maybe or definitely want a job. More details in the average individual income post. Household details are in the household average income post.
For data quality plus the estimated numbers of workers and households in each state, see the companion average income by state post.
For previous editions:
