New Hampshire is the state with the highest median income in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s report on income, poverty and health insurance.
The median household income in New Hampshire averaged a cool $65,028 annually over the past two years.
In Mississippi, the average household earned a median of just $35,693 per year in 2008 and 2009, 45% less than New Hampshire households and the lowest income of any state.
Those statistics, which were released Thursday, also indicate that four of the wealthiest states were located in the Northeast and, along with Maryland and Virginia, form a tight cluster of wealth.
The top 10 wealthiest states
Where median income is highest
1 New Hampshire $65,028
2 New Jersey $64,918
3 Connecticut $64,644
4 Maryland $63,828
5 Alaska $62,675
6 Virginia $61,126
7 Utah $60,396
8 Massachusetts $59,732
9 Hawaii $58,469
10 Washington $58,404
Source:U.S. Census Bureau
The bottom 10 poorest states
Where median incomes are lowest
1 Mississippi $35,693
2 Arkansas $37,987
3 West Virginia $39,170
4 Tennessee $40,034
5 South Carolina $41,548
6 Montana $41,587
7 Kentucky $41,828
8 Alabama $42,144
9 North Carolina $42,337
10 Louisiana $42,423
Source:U.S. Census Bureau
Full story: America’s wealthiest (and poorest) states – Sep. 16, 2010