Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images
15. Kansas
> 1 yr. change in median household income: +4.8%
> Median household income: $62,087 (2019); $59,224 (2018)
> Poverty rate: 11.4% (2019); 12.0% (2018)
> Unemployment: 3.2% (2019); 3.3% (2018)
The typical Kansas household earns $62,087 a year — nearly $3,000 more than in the previous year. The state is also home to a larger share of high income households than in 2018. As of 2019, 5.9% of Kansas households earned $200,000 or more per year, up from 5.4% in 2018.
Many states that reported a higher than average increase in household income also had steep reductions in unemployment. In Kansas, the job market improvement was relatively modest, however, falling from 3.3% in 2018 to 3.2% in 2019.
Source: f11photo / Getty Images
14. Louisiana
> 1 yr. change in median household income: +4.9%
> Median household income: $51,073 (2019); $48,694 (2018)
> Poverty rate: 19.0% (2019); 18.6% (2018)
> Unemployment: 4.8% (2019); 4.9% (2018)
With its median household income growing by 4.9%, Louisiana is one of 18 states with a greater income growth than the 4.5% U.S. growth. Despite the income increase, Louisiana households have among the lowest incomes of any state. The median household income of just over $51,000 is the fourth lowest of any state and nearly $15,000 lower than the U.S. median. Louisiana’s poverty rate of 19.0% is the second highest among states. For comparison, the U.S. poverty rate is 12.3%.
24/7 Wall St.
Source: lhongfoto / Getty Images
13. Illinois
> 1 yr. change in median household income: +4.9%
> Median household income: $69,187 (2019); $65,962 (2018)
> Poverty rate: 11.5% (2019); 12.1% (2018)
> Unemployment: 4.0% (2019); 4.3% (2018)
From 2018 to 2019, the median household income in Illinois increased by more than $3,000 to over $69,000 — well beyond the U.S. median household income of $65,712. Illinois also has an 11.5% poverty rate, as compared to the nationwide poverty rate of 12.3%.
Workers with a college degree tend to earn higher incomes than workers with lower levels of education. Illinois has the country’s 12th highest bachelor’s degree attainment rate, at 35.8%, likely contributing to the relatively high incomes in the state.
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
12. Florida
> 1 yr. change in median household income: +5.2%
> Median household income: $59,227 (2019); $56,292 (2018)
> Poverty rate: 12.7% (2019); 13.6% (2018)
> Unemployment: 3.1% (2019); 3.6% (2018)
Median household income in Florida climbed by 5.2% — or nearly $3,000 — from 2018 to 2019. Over the same period, the state’s poverty rate fell by nearly a full percentage point — from 13.6% to 12.7%. Similarly, the share of high-earning Florida households increased last year. In 2018, 6.2% of households in the state earned $200,000 or more. As of 2019, 6.7% of households earned at least $200,000.
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
11. Tennessee
> 1 yr. change in median household income: +5.3%
> Median household income: $56,071 (2019); $53,274 (2018)
> Poverty rate: 13.9% (2019); 15.3% (2018)
> Unemployment: 3.4% (2019); 3.5% (2018)
The typical Tennessee household earned $56,071 in 2019, or 5.3% more than the previous year. The increase has had a meaningful impact on the state’s poverty rate. As of 2019, the share of Tennessee residents living below the poverty line stood at 13.9%, down from 15.3% in 2018. The year-over-year 1.4 percentage point decrease in poverty was the fourth largest of any state.
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