The 5 states where it's easiest to make it into the 1% — and the 5 where it's the hardest
New York state was edged out of the top 5 by its neighbors
The median U.S. household income in 2022 was $74,580, according to the Census Bureau. That figure dropped to $64,240 after taxes.
Given declining incomes and rising prices, being part of the top 1% of earners in the country seems completely unattainable for most, no matter how much they save. But it might be easier to become a part of the group, depending on where in the country you live.
There are just three where households making less than $500,000 annually are considered to be in the top 1% — and five states where households need to make more than $1 million to be considered a top earner, according to an analysis of 2021 IRS data (adjusted into 2024 dollars) by GOBankingRates.
Click through to see the five states considered the easiest to be included in the top 1% — and which five are the hardest.
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5th Easiest: Arkansas
The fifth-easiest state to crack the top 1% in the U.S. is Arkansas, with an income of $550,469.
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4th Easiest: Kentucky
In Kentucky, households need an income of $532,013 to be considered part of the top 1%.
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3rd Easiest: New Mexico
New Mexico is the third-easiest state to enter into the top 1%, with an income threshold of $493,013.
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2nd Easiest: Mississippi
The state with the second-lowest threshold to be in the top 1% of earnings is Mississippi, where an income of $456,309 gets you into the club.
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Easiest: West Virginia
West Virginia is the easiest place to become a part of the top 1%, with the income threshold coming out at $435,302.
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5th Hardest: New Jersey
The fifth-hardest state to make it into the top 1% is New Jersey, where households need to earn $1.01 million to enter the coveted group.
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4th Hardest: Washington
Washington is up next as the state with the fourth-highest income threshold to crack the state’s 1%, at $1.02 million.
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3rd Hardest: California
The Golden State is the third-hardest state for households to make it into the top 1%, needing an income of $1.07 million.
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2nd Hardest: Massachusetts
Massachusetts households need an income of $1.15 million to make it into the 1%, making it the second-hardest state to become part of the highest-earning threshold.
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Hardest: Connecticut
The state with the highest income threshold for the top 1% of earners in the country is Connecticut, with an income of $1.19 million.