Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jun 6
Virginia Tops WalletHub's Richest-State Ranking With 67.57 Score as New York Finishes 2nd
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jun 6

Virginia Tops WalletHub's Richest-State Ranking With 67.57 Score as New York Finishes 2nd

3 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jun 6

Summary

  • Virginia ranked as the richest U.S. state in WalletHub's latest study, scoring 67.57 and edging New York's 66.27 despite New York's far higher top-5% income.
  • Three income measures drove the ranking: average annual income for the top 5%, average income for the bottom 20%, and statewide median household income.
  • Virginia posted $545,097 for the top 5%, a $95,339 median household income and $19,671 for the bottom 20%, giving it a more balanced profile than New York.
  • New York's top 5% earned $585,523 on average, but its $96,746 median and $13,633 bottom-20% income highlighted wider disparity that WalletHub said kept it from No. 1.
  • California placed 13th with a 53.45 score, and WalletHub said the exit of high-wealth residents to lower-tax states such as Texas, Florida and Tennessee may be weighing on its standing.

Insights

What is Virginia's secret to achieving the top income ranking without extreme top-end wealth?
With new federal laws cutting benefits, can states with high inequality like New York prevent a surge in poverty?
Is the billionaire exodus from states like California a real economic threat or an exaggerated political narrative?