US States · Real per capita income (2017 $)

US States by Real Per Capita Income (Adjusted for Cost of Living) (2024)

Data: BEA Real Personal Income for States, 2024 Updated: Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis CSV

A dollar of income does not stretch equally far everywhere. This ranking uses the Bureau of Economic Analysis' real per capita personal income, which divides each state's income per person by its price level (Regional Price Parities) and by national inflation, so states can be compared on what their income actually buys.

After adjusting for living costs, District of Columbia ranks first at $81,872 per person (in constant 2017 dollars) and Mississippi ranks last at $48,465. The US figure is $59,195. Because high-price states lose ground and low-price states gain, the order differs noticeably from the unadjusted per capita income ranking.

Key facts

Highest

  1. 1District of Columbia$81,872
  2. 2Wyoming$75,501
  3. 3Connecticut$74,254

Lowest

  1. 51Mississippi$48,465
  2. 50West Virginia$50,051
  3. 49New Mexico$51,121
United States
$59,195
Median of 51 states
$58,273
states ranked
51

Real per capita income (2017 $) by state

Shaded by quintile; darker = higher. Hover a state for its value and rank.

Alabama: $52,216 (rank 48 of 51)Alaska: $60,272 (rank 18 of 51)Arizona: $52,890 (rank 43 of 51)Colorado: $65,223 (rank 8 of 51)Florida: $57,131 (rank 30 of 51)Georgia: $52,952 (rank 42 of 51)Indiana: $55,562 (rank 36 of 51)Kansas: $59,172 (rank 21 of 51)Maine: $57,480 (rank 29 of 51)Massachusetts: $71,629 (rank 4 of 51)Minnesota: $62,039 (rank 14 of 51)New Jersey: $63,142 (rank 12 of 51)North Carolina: $56,310 (rank 33 of 51)North Dakota: $65,271 (rank 7 of 51)Oklahoma: $58,692 (rank 23 of 51)Pennsylvania: $58,620 (rank 24 of 51)South Dakota: $69,153 (rank 5 of 51)Texas: $58,219 (rank 27 of 51)Wyoming: $75,501 (rank 2 of 51)Connecticut: $74,254 (rank 3 of 51)Missouri: $57,850 (rank 28 of 51)West Virginia: $50,051 (rank 50 of 51)Illinois: $60,333 (rank 17 of 51)New Mexico: $51,121 (rank 49 of 51)Arkansas: $55,219 (rank 38 of 51)California: $63,028 (rank 13 of 51)Delaware: $55,185 (rank 39 of 51)Hawaii: $52,272 (rank 47 of 51)Iowa: $60,144 (rank 19 of 51)Kentucky: $52,290 (rank 46 of 51)Maryland: $61,111 (rank 16 of 51)Michigan: $53,569 (rank 41 of 51)Mississippi: $48,465 (rank 51 of 51)Montana: $59,203 (rank 20 of 51)New Hampshire: $64,632 (rank 9 of 51)New York: $64,153 (rank 11 of 51)Ohio: $56,232 (rank 34 of 51)Oregon: $55,451 (rank 37 of 51)Tennessee: $58,582 (rank 25 of 51)Utah: $55,116 (rank 40 of 51)Virginia: $61,914 (rank 15 of 51)Washington: $64,421 (rank 10 of 51)Wisconsin: $58,273 (rank 26 of 51)Nebraska: $65,297 (rank 6 of 51)South Carolina: $52,463 (rank 45 of 51)Idaho: $52,816 (rank 44 of 51)Nevada: $56,503 (rank 32 of 51)Vermont: $58,893 (rank 22 of 51)Louisiana: $56,789 (rank 31 of 51)Rhode Island: $55,878 (rank 35 of 51) District of Columbia: $81,872 (rank 1 of 51)
  • $48,465–$53,569
  • $55,116–$56,789
  • $57,131–$59,172
  • $59,203–$64,153
  • $64,421–$81,872
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, BEA Real Personal Income for States, 2024. Map: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas), Albers USA projection; Alaska and Hawaii repositioned.

Highest and lowest states

Real per capita income (2017 $); dashed line marks the US figure.

Highest 10

  1. 1. District of Columbia $81,872
  2. 2. Wyoming $75,501
  3. 3. Connecticut $74,254
  4. 4. Massachusetts $71,629
  5. 5. South Dakota $69,153
  6. 6. Nebraska $65,297
  7. 7. North Dakota $65,271
  8. 8. Colorado $65,223
  9. 9. New Hampshire $64,632
  10. 10. Washington $64,421

Lowest 10

  1. 42. Georgia $52,952
  2. 43. Arizona $52,890
  3. 44. Idaho $52,816
  4. 45. South Carolina $52,463
  5. 46. Kentucky $52,290
  6. 47. Hawaii $52,272
  7. 48. Alabama $52,216
  8. 49. New Mexico $51,121
  9. 50. West Virginia $50,051
  10. 51. Mississippi $48,465

United States: $59,195

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, BEA Real Personal Income for States, 2024.

Full ranking

Download CSV 51 rows
Select a column header to sort (press again to reverse).
1 District of Columbia $81,872 $79,990+2.4 South
2 Wyoming $75,501 $75,323+0.2 West
3 Connecticut $74,254 $71,915+3.3 Northeast
4 Massachusetts $71,629 $69,372+3.3 Northeast
5 South Dakota $69,153 $69,861−1.0 Midwest
6 Nebraska $65,297 $65,780−0.7 Midwest
7 North Dakota $65,271 $67,383−3.1 Midwest
8 Colorado $65,223 $65,363−0.2 West
9 New Hampshire $64,632 $62,459+3.5 Northeast
10 Washington $64,421 $62,138+3.7 West
11 New York $64,153 $63,093+1.7 Northeast
12 New Jersey $63,142 $62,191+1.5 Northeast
13 California $63,028 $60,100+4.9 West
14 Minnesota $62,039 $61,394+1.1 Midwest
15 Virginia $61,914 $60,556+2.2 South
16 Maryland $61,111 $59,922+2.0 South
17 Illinois $60,333 $60,3480.0 Midwest
18 Alaska $60,272 $58,204+3.6 West
19 Iowa $60,144 $58,646+2.6 Midwest
20 Montana $59,203 $60,386−2.0 West
21 Kansas $59,172 $58,664+0.9 Midwest
22 Vermont $58,893 $58,061+1.4 Northeast
23 Oklahoma $58,692 $56,986+3.0 South
24 Pennsylvania $58,620 $58,027+1.0 Northeast
25 Tennessee $58,582 $57,242+2.3 South
26 Wisconsin $58,273 $57,791+0.8 Midwest
27 Texas $58,219 $57,708+0.9 South
28 Missouri $57,850 $56,912+1.6 Midwest
29 Maine $57,480 $55,480+3.6 Northeast
30 Florida $57,131 $56,138+1.8 South
31 Louisiana $56,789 $55,235+2.8 South
32 Nevada $56,503 $56,600−0.2 West
33 North Carolina $56,310 $54,748+2.9 South
34 Ohio $56,232 $55,789+0.8 Midwest
35 Rhode Island $55,878 $55,140+1.3 Northeast
36 Indiana $55,562 $55,353+0.4 Midwest
37 Oregon $55,451 $53,455+3.7 West
38 Arkansas $55,219 $54,094+2.1 South
39 Delaware $55,185 $54,314+1.6 South
40 Utah $55,116 $55,999−1.6 West
41 Michigan $53,569 $53,903−0.6 Midwest
42 Georgia $52,952 $51,643+2.5 South
43 Arizona $52,890 $51,960+1.8 West
44 Idaho $52,816 $53,302−0.9 West
45 South Carolina $52,463 $51,320+2.2 South
46 Kentucky $52,290 $51,428+1.7 South
47 Hawaii $52,272 $50,923+2.6 West
48 Alabama $52,216 $50,902+2.6 South
49 New Mexico $51,121 $50,620+1.0 West
50 West Virginia $50,051 $49,071+2.0 South
51 Mississippi $48,465 $47,517+2.0 South

Methodology

BEA table SARPI, line 2: real per capita personal income, in constant (2017) dollars. BEA computes it as state personal income divided by the state Regional Price Parity and the national PCE price index, then divided by midyear population. Personal income includes wages and salaries, supplements such as employer pension and health contributions, proprietors' income, rental, dividend and interest income, and government transfer receipts, minus contributions for government social insurance. It is measured before personal income taxes. The 1-year change compares the latest year with the previous year in the same release; BEA revises earlier years with every release.

Puerto Rico and other US territories are not included. Rankings use competition ranking: tied values share a rank.

Frequently asked questions

Which state has the highest income after cost of living?

District of Columbia, at $81,872 per person in constant 2017 dollars in 2024.

Why are these numbers lower than nominal per capita income?

They are expressed in 2017 dollars, so inflation since 2017 is removed, and high-price states are additionally deflated by their price level.

Is this the same as the Census per capita income on this site?

No. The Census figure comes from a household survey and counts money income only. BEA personal income is built from administrative and accounting data and includes items such as employer-paid benefits, so it is higher and is the measure used for state economic accounts.

Sources

Data retrieved October 29, 2026. Values are shown as published, rounded for display; derived percentages are computed by us from published counts as described above. Download the CSV. Spotted an error? Tell us.

Cite this page: SortedLists, “US States by Real Per Capita Income (Adjusted for Cost of Living)”, https://sortedlists.com/states-by-real-per-capita-income/ (accessed October 29, 2026). Data: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Real Personal Income for States (SARPI), real per capita personal income, 2024 (released February 19, 2026).