State Rankings
Best and worst U.S. states ranked by income, housing cost, taxes and affordability. Official government data.
How rankings work: We rank 50 states by median household income high→low and by median home value low→high for affordability. Medians come from latest 5-year survey through 2026. Per capita and property tax are shown for context. For cost-of-living, see Cost of Living and for side-by-side use Compare. Rankings are deterministic and auditable — no advertiser influence.
States Ranked by Median Household Income
| Rank | State | Median Household Income | Per Capita Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Maryland | $101,652 | $51,689 |
| 🥈 2 | Massachusetts | $101,341 | $56,284 |
| 🥉 3 | New Jersey | $101,050 | $53,118 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $98,317 | $44,823 |
| 5 | California | $96,334 | $47,977 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $95,628 | $50,867 |
| 7 | Washington | $94,952 | $51,493 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $93,760 | $54,409 |
| 9 | Colorado | $92,470 | $50,489 |
| 10 | Utah | $91,750 | $39,240 |
| 11 | Virginia | $90,974 | $49,217 |
| 12 | Alaska | $89,336 | $44,928 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $87,556 | $46,957 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $86,372 | $45,919 |
| 15 | New York | $84,578 | $49,520 |
| 16 | Delaware | $82,855 | $44,219 |
| 17 | Illinois | $81,702 | $45,104 |
| 18 | Oregon | $80,426 | $44,063 |
| 19 | Vermont | $78,024 | $44,365 |
| 20 | Arizona | $76,872 | $40,736 |
| 21 | Texas | $76,292 | $39,446 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $76,081 | $43,104 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $75,949 | $42,474 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $75,670 | $42,019 |
| 25 | Nevada | $75,561 | $39,963 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $74,985 | $40,637 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $74,815 | $41,006 |
| 28 | Georgia | $74,664 | $39,525 |
| 29 | Idaho | $74,636 | $37,169 |
| 30 | Iowa | $73,147 | $39,728 |
| 31 | Kansas | $72,639 | $39,638 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $72,421 | $38,880 |
| 33 | Maine | $71,773 | $42,035 |
| 34 | Florida | $71,711 | $41,055 |
| 35 | Michigan | $71,149 | $39,538 |
| 36 | Indiana | $70,051 | $37,178 |
| 37 | Montana | $69,922 | $39,842 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $69,904 | $39,616 |
| 39 | Ohio | $69,680 | $39,455 |
| 40 | Missouri | $68,920 | $38,497 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $67,097 | $37,866 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $66,818 | $37,993 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $63,603 | $34,859 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $62,417 | $34,960 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $62,125 | $34,823 |
| 46 | Alabama | $62,027 | $34,835 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $60,023 | $34,211 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $58,773 | $33,147 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $57,917 | $32,949 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $54,915 | $30,529 |
States Ranked by Median Home Value (Low to High)
| Rank | State | Median Home Value | Median Property Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Most Affordable | West Virginia | $155,600 | $835/yr |
| 🥈 | Mississippi | $161,400 | $1,189/yr |
| 🥉 | Arkansas | $175,300 | $1,003/yr |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $185,900 | $1,520/yr |
| 5 | Kentucky | $192,300 | $1,472/yr |
| 6 | Alabama | $195,100 | $738/yr |
| 7 | Iowa | $195,900 | $2,795/yr |
| 8 | Ohio | $199,200 | $2,712/yr |
| 9 | Indiana | $201,600 | $1,496/yr |
| 10 | Kansas | $203,400 | $2,643/yr |
| 11 | Louisiana | $208,700 | $1,146/yr |
| 12 | Missouri | $215,600 | $1,887/yr |
| 13 | Michigan | $217,600 | $2,795/yr |
| 14 | Nebraska | $223,800 | $3,350/yr |
| 15 | New Mexico | $232,200 | $1,669/yr |
| 16 | South Carolina | $236,700 | $1,199/yr |
| 17 | South Dakota | $236,800 | $2,590/yr |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $240,500 | $3,241/yr |
| 19 | North Dakota | $241,100 | $2,392/yr |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $247,400 | $3,746/yr |
| 21 | Illinois | $250,500 | $5,189/yr |
| 22 | Tennessee | $256,800 | $1,400/yr |
| 23 | North Carolina | $259,400 | $1,815/yr |
| 24 | Texas | $260,400 | $4,111/yr |
| 25 | Maine | $266,400 | $2,926/yr |
| 26 | Georgia | $272,900 | $2,214/yr |
| 27 | Wyoming | $285,100 | $1,659/yr |
| 28 | Vermont | $290,500 | $4,956/yr |
| 29 | Minnesota | $305,500 | $3,184/yr |
| 30 | Florida | $325,000 | $2,555/yr |
| 31 | Delaware | $326,800 | $1,731/yr |
| 32 | Alaska | $333,300 | $3,785/yr |
| 33 | Montana | $338,100 | $2,535/yr |
| 34 | Connecticut | $343,200 | $6,575/yr |
| 35 | Arizona | $358,900 | $1,858/yr |
| 36 | Virginia | $360,700 | $2,686/yr |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $367,200 | $6,505/yr |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $368,800 | $4,854/yr |
| 39 | Idaho | $376,000 | $2,006/yr |
| 40 | Maryland | $397,700 | $3,989/yr |
| 41 | New York | $403,000 | $6,450/yr |
| 42 | Nevada | $406,100 | $1,970/yr |
| 43 | New Jersey | $427,600 | $9,541/yr |
| 44 | Oregon | $454,200 | $3,767/yr |
| 45 | Utah | $455,000 | $2,412/yr |
| 46 | Colorado | $502,200 | $2,448/yr |
| 47 | Washington | $519,800 | $4,361/yr |
| 48 | Massachusetts | $525,800 | $5,813/yr |
| 49 | California | $695,400 | $4,926/yr |
| 50 | Hawaii | $808,200 | $2,183/yr |
Frequently asked questions
What data does this page show?
State rankings by income, cost of living, housing affordability, taxes and more. Official Census Bureau and BLS data.
How current are the figures?
All figures reflect 2026 and update automatically from official sources.
Where do the numbers come from?
All figures are compiled from official U.S. government public data and refreshed automatically. LifeIndexData is 100% free to use and fully independent: we are not affiliated with, sponsored by, or compensated by any bank, lender or financial institution, and advertising never influences our data or rankings.
How do I cite this page?
LifeIndexData. "U.S. State Rankings — Best & Worst States (2026)" (2026). https://lifeindexdata.com/usa/tools/rankings/
Is this financial advice?
No. All data is informational only — see our Disclaimer before making decisions.