Median Household Income by State 2026

Mississippi's $49,111 median reflects an economy built largely on agriculture, catfish farming, and low-wage manufacturing. Only 25.5% of Mississippi adults hold a bachelor's degree, the lowest college attainment rate in the country. That limits access to the professional and managerial roles that push income higher in other states.

Mississippi has no major metro area with a population above 300,000. Jackson, the capital and largest city, has fewer than 150,000 residents. Without an urban core generating high concentrations of white-collar employment, wage competition stays low. The gap between Maryland and Mississippi is roughly $49,000 per year.

Eight of the ten highest-income states are in the Northeast or Pacific Northwest. Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Washington, Connecticut, Colorado, and California all exceed $84,000. These states share high concentrations of tech, finance, federal government, and healthcare employment, sectors that pay above-average wages.

Six of the ten lowest-income states are in the South: Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Lower college attainment, fewer large metro areas, and historically lower unionization rates keep wages below the national median. Cost of living is also lower in these states, but the income gap is wider than the cost gap for most households. See states by cost of living for the full picture.

New Hampshire's $90,845 median household income places it 4th nationally, despite having no state income tax and no state sales tax. The explanation is geographic: New Hampshire borders Massachusetts, and a substantial share of its residents commute to Boston-area employers in biotech, finance, and software. They earn Massachusetts wages while living across the border.

About 41% of New Hampshire adults hold a college degree, among the highest in the country. That demographic profile, educated, Boston-adjacent commuters, inflates the state's household income figure independently of state tax policy. The income is imported from the Massachusetts economy.