At just over $1K, Mississippi has the lowest average weekly wage in the country.

Massachusetts is the state with the highest median household income for young Americans at $123.2K per year

Americans ages 25 through 44 make more in some states than others. While Massachusetts took the top billing, Mississippi came in last place out of all 50 states at $66K per year—a roughly 87% difference. However, it's important to remember that the cost of living in many of the highest-earning states in the US is significantly higher than the cost of living in the lowest-earning states.

See the average income in every US state

DC residents make an average of $108K a year, but residents of nearby state West Virginia earn the country's lowest average annual income of just $55K.

See a map of where annual household incomes over $200K are most common in America.

In Hawaii, the median household bank account balance is $43.6K

The media household bank account balance varies widely between states. In Mississippi, for instance, the median balance is much lower than Hawaii's at just $1.9K per household.

How much Americans spend on groceries by state

You've probably heard that the price of groceries has gone up across the US in the past few years—but do you know what the average American household is currently paying for their weekly grocery bill? That answer differs state-by-state: For instance, households in Alaska and Hawaii have the largest average weekly grocery bills at $329 and $334, respectively, partly due to shipping costs. See a map showing the averages in each state here.

See how student loan debt varies by state, with Washington, DC, having the highest average federal student loan debt in the country at $54,795 per borrower, and North Dakota boasting the nation's lowest average at $29,647 per borrower.

When a state's minimum wage differs from the federal minimum wage, the higher number wins out.

In the Netherlands, the minimum wage amounts to a full-time salary of roughly $34,192 per year

The US minimum wage, however, only amounts to roughly $15K per year. This map shows how much minimum wage workers in countries around the world earn on an annual basis in US dollars.

The income needed to raise a family by US state

This map shows the annual household income needed to raise a family of four in each US state. West Virginia is the least expensive state on the map at $82K per year. These numbers were calculated based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data which factored in how annual living expenses such as housing, transportation, and groceries differ from state to state. See the map here.

The income needed to be middle class in every US state

Depending on the US state you live in, the household income needed to be considered "middle class" can vary from only $36K per year to $200K per year. It's more expensive to be considered middle class in states like Massachusetts and New Jersey than it is in West Virginia or Mississippi. See these numbers in a data visualization here.

Hawaiian households spent 33% more on groceries than the US average in 2025

At $157 per week, Hawaiians had the highest average weekly grocery bill out of all the US states in 2025. Arkansas residents spent the least on groceries at $111 per week.

The countries with the highest wealth per person, ranked

When looking at countries with the highest average wealth per person, the United States comes in at number three (with $564,862 per person). But the US doesn't even make the top 10 when looking at the median wealth per person rather than the average, which is perhaps a more accurate version of the data. Explore the numbers here.

The federal minimum wage in the US has been $7.25 per hour since 2009—making this the longest the US has gone without a minimum wage increase since 1938.

Visualize the most common job in every US state, from fast food worker to home health aide

Washington is the only state where "software developer" was the most common job (thanks, in part, to Microsoft and Amazon), whereas "fast food worker" was the most common occupation in 17 states.

California has the highest median rent in the US at $2,104

Hawaii has the second-highest median rent in the US at roughly $1,942 per month, including utilities. That's as of 2024, based on data from the US Census Bureau.

Many states require higher direct wage amounts for tipped employees than the federal requirement

Employers of "tipped employees" are required to pay them $2.13 per hour in direct wages if that amount, combined with the tips, at least equals the federal minimum wage of $7.25. If the employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 per hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer has to make up the difference. However, this differs from state to state. This interactive map shows what tipped workers make per hour in every state.

The value of a dollar differs from state to state

Did you know that $100 is worth 26% less in California than in Arkansas? The value of a dollar isn't consistent in every US state due to a multitude of factors, such as taxes and other varying cost-of-living differences.

At $55K, on average, New Jersey is the most expensive US state to host a wedding

Wedding costs vary significantly depending on location. Utah is the least expensive, at $17K, on average, per wedding. If you're curious to see where your state falls, check out this map for a visualization of each state's average wedding price.

The US had roughly 1.6 million minimum wage workers as of 2021

Typically, minimum wage workers are young. They’re not only more likely to be a woman than a man, but also more likely to be single than married.

The first federal minimum wage wasn't set until 1938, when it was 25 cents per hour.

See every time the minimum wage has been raised.

Living wage calculator

Some people who work low-wage jobs don't make enough money to pay for the cost of basic needs (like housing or child care) in their area of the country. Curious to see whether or not you make what's considered a "living wage" for your city or state? To find out, plug your locale into this Living Wage Calculator.

Tipped workers in ‘$2.13 states’ experience an estimated 18.5% poverty rates

In so-called “equal treatment states,” where tipped workers are subject to the normal federal minimum wage or higher rather than the tipped minimum wage, the poverty rate is 11.1%.

States with the highest (and lowest) tax rates

WalletHub researchers evaluated not just income taxes but real estate, sales, and other levies in order to rank every state by its total effective local and state tax rate (not including federal). Alaska scored the lowest total tax rate and Illinois...

The way the minimum wage is set in other countries often differs from US methods

Unlike the US, some countries set the minimum wage by industry through collective bargaining agreements. In Luxembourg, the minimum wage translates to roughly $19.50 per hour, currently making it the country with the highest minimum wage in the world.

The average American household spends $6,545 per month

While the median household income is $84K, the typical bank account balance is $8K.

An animation of how the minimum wage changed every year from 1968 to 2018

In the United States, both the federal and state minimum wages have changed a lot over the years. See how—both in each state and at the federal level.

What a $100K salary is worth in different US cities

While hitting the six-figure salary mark has long been seen as an indicator of career success, earning $100K per year doesn’t feel the same in every US city. This article details just how much that salary is worth in different places around the United States, from Memphis, Tennessee to New York City. Find out more here.

The monthly minimum wage a full-time worker receives varies around the world

In Luxembourg, for instance, the monthly minimum was roughly $2,140 as of January 2023. But in Nigeria, it was just $68 a month. Of course, the cost of living varies by country too.

States with the most million-dollar homes

As of 2024, the US has 621 cities where a typical home costs $1M or more. California has more million-dollar cities than any other state by a long shot, with 218. New York comes in second with 76. Want to see where other states rank? Check out this map to learn more.

Explore an interactive chart that shows peoples' annual salaries by occupation

The median salary for full-time workers in the United States was roughly $49.5K in 2024. An interactive chart details how salaries differ by occupation.

The best US cities for entry-level jobs with livable wages

In Bakersfield, California, 100% of entry-level job ads on Indeed recently claimed to pay above the local living wage. But other cities, like Honolulu, Hawaii, aren't as livable for entry-level workers: Just 27.69% of new job posts advertise a salary in line with the city's living wage.

See how income levels have changed in each state since 2010

Since 2010, the median household income has increased by 22% on average. Montana, the state with the largest growth rate, saw a 42.9% increase, while New Mexico saw the lowest income growth rate at 2.3%.

San Francisco has the highest-paying average monthly salary in the US at $7,092

Other relatively high monthly average salaries in major cities worldwide include those in Switzerland, specifically Geneva at $7,984 and Zurich at $7,788. This chart shows other major cities across the world with high average monthly salaries.

Based on the number of patents, venture capital investment, and research and development spending per capita in 2025, America's most innovative states are California, Massachusetts, and Delaware.

In 1980, the median US household income was $21,020

In 1980, a steady middle-class job paid roughly $13,000 to $16,000 a year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That income comfortably supported a household on one paycheck. The average full-time worker today, who makes $68K per year often cannot afford to support a household without a second income.

25% of US households had no regular income as of 2024

Some states had higher shares of no-income households than others: West Virginia, for instance, had a national high of 34% of households with no income. These states tend to have older populations, higher rates of disability, and lower median incomes overall. In such contexts, a larger portion of households rely on non-earned income sources or report no income during the survey period.

The most taxed states in America

Some states in the US have higher taxes than others. Hawaii, for instance, has the highest total tax burden in the country at 13.9%, whereas Alaska has the lowest overall tax burden at 4.9%. New York has the highest individual income tax burden; and eight states have no individual income tax. See a map of the most-taxed US states here.

The average salary for full-time gig workers is roughly $60K a year in the US

High-earners can make more than six figures, while close to 15% make less than the federal minimum hour wage. Most gig workers in the United States still have to file a tax return every year.

The 50 best (and highest paying) jobs in America

Here are the 50 Best Jobs in America, according to Glassdoor. Where does your job fall? This report ranks jobs according to each job’s Glassdoor Job Score, determined by combining three factors: number of job openings, salary, and overall job satisfaction rating.

The average monthly mortgage payment in the US costs 38% more than monthly rent

A recent study showed that the price gap between renting and buying grew in 38 major US metro areas since last year. The metro areas with the smallest price gaps between renting and buying include Detroit, Philadelphia, and Cleveland.

See how many days of work it takes to afford a monthly mortgage in each US state, with the US average being 14 days.

How much money you need to retire in each state

The average American thinks they'll need at least $1.46M to retire comfortably, according to a new study. But the actual floor for a comfortable retirement varies by state. In West Virginia, for instance, the study suggests that retirees only need to have about $712,921 saved for retirement.

What America's 1% pays in taxes, by state

In the US, the top 1% of earners contribute 45% of all personal income taxes collected nationwide. But not all states are created equal when it comes to income tax. Some states are more dependent on the 1% than others for tax revenue. SmartAsset recently examined IRS tax return data to determine exactly how much the top 1% of earners in each state paid in taxes. Find your state here.

See the religious breakdown of your state and how it compares to the rest of the country.

The Pew Research Center conducted a survey of religion across all 50 states and Washington, DC. This data visualization allows you to select any state to see how religious it is compared to the rest of the country.

US child care costs, mapped

It's no secret that child care in the US is expensive, but this map provides more color to that observation by showing the average annual price of child care in licensed child care centers for infants, by state, in 2023. South Dakota, for instance, had the lowest infant child care cost at $7,862 per year. See how the rest of the states fared here.

This is the longest the US has gone without a minimum wage increase since 1938

The US government hasn’t increased the federal minimum wage in more than a decade. Some people argue it's wrong that Congress needs to debate whether or not to raise the minimum wage—and that perhaps these raises should be tied to inflation.

Each generation’s median income

Discover data about each generation’s income in the US. Generation X currently holds the title of highest earners, with notable wealth for those living in Maryland. Find out which groups tend to succeed and why, while seeing where you stand in comparison.

See where your state ranked in an analysis of the best public school systems in the US.

The average American household spends over $3K annually on dining out

The exact number is $3,228, or $269 per month. WalletHub found the number by crunching the data reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics between 2014 and 2023.