Massachusetts has overtaken New Jersey as the highest-earning U.S. state, according to new census data. The median household income in Massachusetts is now close to $100,000 per year, with New Jersey trailing slightly at over $99,000. However, the District of Columbia outpaces all states with a median household income exceeding $108,000.
The data, collected in the Current Population Survey, shows that the median income in the United States in 2020 was $67,521, a 2.9 percent decrease from the previous year. This decrease was primarily due to Covid-19 restrictions and marked the first significant decline in median incomes since 2011. However, incomes vary widely from state to state, with the highest-paid households found in the country's Northeast and West Coast regions (World Population Review).
Despite losing its top spot, New Jersey's median household income remains one of the highest in the nation. The state's poverty rate is also lower than the national average, with 9.7 percent of New Jerseyans living in poverty compared to 12.5 percent of people nationwide (Patch).
On the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi had the lowest median household income of any state last year at just over $54,000.