How Much You Need To Be in the Top 5% in Every State

Rich is a term that might seem rather vague when it comes to wealth — what seems rich to one person might not to another, and money can go a lot further in some states than others.

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One way of determining what equals “rich” is to look at the top 5% of income earners in any given state. The 5% club in some states, however, is much, much harder to crack into than in others.

To determine what it takes to be rich, GOBankingRates used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey to determine the average income for each state compared to that of its top-earning 5%.

Here’s a look at how much you need to be “rich” in each state, and how much more you’ll earn than the average person when you get there.

Alabama

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $202,158
Average household income for the top 5%: $336,788
Median household income for the entire state: $54,943
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.1x

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Alaska

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $394,694
Median household income for the entire state: $80,287
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 4.9x

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Arizona

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $233,908
Average household income for the top 5%: $395,620
Average household income for the entire state: $65,913
How much more the average 5% make than the average person: 6.0x

Arkansas

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $193,240
Average household income for the top 5%: $344,470
Average household income for the entire state: $52,123
How much more the average 5% make than the average person: 6.6x

California

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $555,007
Median household income for the entire state: $84,097
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.6x

Colorado

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $466,181
Median household income for the entire state: $80,184
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.8x

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Connecticut

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $602,707
Median household income for the entire state: $83,572
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 7.2x

Delaware

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $245,145
Average household income for the top 5%: $420,859
Average household income for the entire state: $72,724
How much more the average 5% make than the average person: 5.8x

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District of Columbia

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $670,768
Average household income for the entire state: $93,547
How much more the average 5% make than the average person: 7.2x

Florida

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $236,080
Average household income for the top 5%: $431,870
Average household income for the entire state: $61,777
How much more the average 5% make than the average person: 7.0x

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Georgia

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $245,320
Average household income for the top 5%: $422,018
Average household income for the entire state: $65,030
How much more the average 5% make than the average person: 6.5x

Hawaii

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $459,305
Median household income for the entire state: $88,005
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.2x

Idaho

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $212,170
Average household income for the top 5%: $360,622
Median household income for the entire state: $63,377
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.7x

Illinois

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $466,713
Median household income for the entire state: $72,563
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.4x

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Indiana

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $205,154
Average household income for the top 5%: $347,661
Median household income for the entire state: $61,944
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.6x

felixmizioznikov / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Iowa

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $210,930
Average household income for the top 5%: $352,704
Median household income for the entire state: $65,429
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.4x

Kansas

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $220,993
Average household income for the top 5%: $383,038
Median household income for the entire state: $64,521
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.9x

Kentucky

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $197,902
Average household income for the top 5%: $350,411
Median household income for the entire state: $55,454
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.3x

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Louisiana

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $210,664
Average household income for the top 5%: $357,026
Median household income for the entire state: $53,571
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.7x

Maine

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $211,731
Average household income for the top 5%: $359,776
Median household income for the entire state: $63,182
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.7x

Maryland

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $503,597
Median household income for the entire state: $91,431
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.5x

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Massachusetts

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $558,616
Median household income for the entire state: $89,026
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.3x

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Michigan

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $222,336
Average household income for the top 5%: $376,426
Median household income for the entire state: $63,202
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.0x

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Minnesota

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $441,274
Median household income for the entire state: $77,706
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.7x

Mississippi

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $179,799
Average household income for the top 5%: $308,523
Median household income for the entire state: $49,111
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.3x

Missouri

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $215,289
Average household income for the top 5%: $371,277
Median household income for the entire state: $61,043
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.1x

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Montana

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $209,435
Average household income for the top 5%: $370,234
Median household income for the entire state: $60,560
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.1x

Nebraska

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $216,626
Average household income for the top 5%: $378,679
Median household income for the entire state: $66,644
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.7x

Nevada

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $227,954
Average household income for the top 5%: $410,161
Median household income for the entire state: $65,686
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.2x

New Hampshire

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $440,829
Median household income for the entire state: $83,449
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.3x

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New Jersey

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $562,886
Median household income for the entire state: $89,703
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.3x

New Mexico

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $197,251
Average household income for the top 5%: $323,568
Median household income for the entire state: $54,020
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.0x

New York

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $574,063
Median household income for the entire state: $75,157
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 7.6x

North Carolina

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $228,071
Average household income for the top 5%: $390,822
Median household income for the entire state: $60,516
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.5x

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North Dakota

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $224,445
Average household income for the top 5%: $380,261
Median household income for the entire state: $68,131
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.6x

Ohio

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $216,003
Average household income for the top 5%: $370,964
Median household income for the entire state: $61,938
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.0x

Oklahoma

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $201,605
Average household income for the top 5%: $348,180
Median household income for the entire state: $56,956
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.1x

Oregon

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $245,626
Average household income for the top 5%: $404,468
Median household income for the entire state: $70,084
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.8x

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Pennsylvania

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $246,367
Average household income for the top 5%: $417,872
Median household income for the entire state: $67,587
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.2x

Rhode Island

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $424,473
Median household income for the entire state: $74,489
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.7x

South Carolina

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $214,275
Average household income for the top 5%: $374,427
Median household income for the entire state: $58,234
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.4x

South Dakota

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $202,777
Average household income for the top 5%: $358,060
Median household income for the entire state: $63,920
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.6x

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Tennessee

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $215,861
Average household income for the top 5%: $389,257
Median household income for the entire state: $58,516
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.7x

Texas

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $427,006
Median household income for the entire state: $67,321
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.3x

Utah

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $247,341
Average household income for the top 5%: $421,379
Median household income for the entire state: $79,133
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.3x

Vermont

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $230,309
Average household income for the top 5%: $376,807
Median household income for the entire state: $67,674
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.6x

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Virginia

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $486,006
Median household income for the entire state: $80,615
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 6.0x

Washington

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $250,000
Average household income for the top 5%: $487,950
Median household income for the entire state: $82,400
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.9x

West Virginia

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $183,110
Average household income for the top 5%: $299,882
Median household income for the entire state: $50,884
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.9x

Wisconsin

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $214,889
Average household income for the top 5%: $371,015
Median household income for the entire state: $67,080
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.5x

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Wyoming

How much you need to be in the top 5%: $209,639
Average household income for the top 5%: $372,110
Median household income for the entire state: $68,002
How much more the average 5% make than the median: 5.5x

Andrew Lisa and John Csiszar contributed to the reporting of this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates found how much a household has to make pre-tax to be in the top 5% highest-earning households in each state by analyzing the Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey (ACS). GOBankingRates took the 2021 ACS data on “Household Income Quintile Upper Limits” and found each state’s (1) lower income limit of the top-5 percent of households. Supplemental data compiled includes (2) average household income of the top 5%; (3) average household income for the entire state; and (4) how much more the average 5% household makes than the overall average household in each state. Data is accurate as of May 3, 2024 and is subject to change.

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