HI

Most of the Highest-Income States Are

Located in the Northeast and West

Median household income: 1989

$35,000 or more

$30,000 to $34,999

$25,000 to $29,999

Less than $25,000

1989 Median 

Household Income

WA

OR

CA

NV

NM AZ

TX LA

ID

ND

SD

OK

KS

NE

WY

UT

CO

WI

MN

IA

IL

TN

FL

MO

AR

MS AL GA

SC

ME

AK

MD

NJ

RI

MA

VT

NH

DC

MT

VA

OH

WV

KY

NC

DE

PA

MI

IN

United States median = $30,056

NY

CT




	


America’s Income—

Changes Between the Censuses

During the 1990 Census, 5 out of

every 6 households received the

“short form,” which asked them a

handful of questions, such as the

number of rooms in their housing

unit and the race, age, and marital status of persons living there.

The remaining 1 out of 6 households (17 percent) — a repreSB/93-1

Issued February 1993

U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

sentative 

sample of the United States —

received the “long form,” which

asked those questions, plus

many others covering numerous

housing, social, and economic

subjects. One of these subjects

was income.

Approximately 15.3 million of the

Nation’s 91.9 million households

were asked the total amount of

money income received by each

household member 15 years old

and over during the 1989 calendar year. (As in all sample surveys, estimates are subject to

sampling variability and errors 

of response, including underreporting and nonreporting.)

These amounts were reported

before any deductions, such as

personal income tax, and exclude the value of any noncash

benefits, such as food stamps

and health benefits. The box on

page 4 lists the specific sources

that comprise household money

income.

The Nation’s median household

money income was $30,056 in

1989; in other words, one-half of

households had higher income

and one-half had lower income

than the median.

This brief uses data collected 

by the 1990, 1980, and 1970

Censuses of Population to discuss changes in median household money income over the past
State and Regional Rankings by Median 

Household Income: 1969–1989

1979– 1969–

1989 1979 1969 1989 1979

Percent Percent

change change

Median Median in real in real

(1989 (1989 median median

Median Rank dollars) Rank dollars) Rank income income

United States $30,056 28,220 26,707 6.5 5.7

Connecticut 41,721 1 33,643 4 34,232 2 24.0 –1.7

Alaska 41,408 2 42,586 1 37,191 1 –2.8 14.5

New Jersey 40,927 3 33,178 6 32,640 4 23.4 1.7

Maryland 39,386 4 33,984 3 31,790 5 15.9 6.9

Hawaii 38,829 5 34,306 2 33,596 3 13.2 2.1

Massachusetts 36,952 6 29,450 13 30,097 8 25.5 –2.2

New Hampshire 36,329 7 28,508 21 27,230 18 27.4 4.7

California 35,798 8 30,569 10 29,275 10 17.1 4.4

Delaware 34,875 9 29,904 13 29,297 10 16.6 2.1

Virginia 33,328 10 29,282 13 26,100 23 13.8 12.2

New York 32,965 11 27,895 26 29,168 10 18.2 –4.4

Illinois 32,252 12 32,376 7 30,547 7 –0.4 6.0

Rhode Island 32,181 12 26,973 29 27,119 18 19.3 –0.5*

Washington 31,183 14 30,777 9 28,718 14 1.3 7.2

Michigan 31,020 15 32,212 8 31,463 6 –3.7 2.4

Nevada 31,011 15 30,516 10 29,914 9 1.6 2.0

Minnesota 30,909 15 29,762 13 27,548 17 3.9 8.0

DC 30,727 15 27,164 29 26,068 23 13.1 4.2

Colorado 30,140 19 30,256 12 26,509 22 –0.4* 14.1

Vermont 29,792 20 24,783 38 25,055 28 20.2 –1.1

Utah 29,470 21 29,611 13 26,695 21 –0.5* 10.9

Wisconsin 29,442 21 29,626 13 28,315 15 –0.7 4.6

Pennsylvania 29,069 23 28,285 22 26,902 18 2.8 5.1

Georgia 29,021 23 25,190 37 23,119 36 15.2 9.0

Indiana 28,797 25 29,462 13 28,076 16 –2.3 4.9

Ohio 28,706 25 29,750 13 29,203 10 –3.5 1.9

Maine 27,854 27 23,151 47 23,022 36 20.3 0.6*

Arizona 27,540 28 27,562 27 25,804 26 –0.1* 6.8

Florida 27,483 28 24,591 38 22,559 38 11.8 9.0

Kansas 27,291 30 27,417 28 23,850 31 –0.5 15.0

Oregon 27,250 30 28,118 23 26,109 23 –3.1 7.7

Wyoming 27,096 30 33,503 4 25,288 27 –19.1 32.5

Texas 27,016 33 27,997 25 23,724 31 –3.5 18.0

North Carolina 26,647 34 24,265 38 22,109 40 9.8 9.8

Missouri 26,362 35 26,109 32 24,145 30 1.0 8.1

South Carolina 26,256 35 24,651 38 21,511 42 6.5 14.6

Iowa 26,229 35 28,150 23 24,800 29 –6.8 13.5

Nebraska 26,016 38 26,685 31 23,371 34 –2.5 14.2

Idaho 25,257 39 25,613 33 23,547 33 –1.4 8.8

Tennessee 24,807 40 23,697 45 20,869 43 4.7 13.6

New Mexico 24,087 41 24,555 38 22,333 38 –1.9 10.0

Alabama 23,597 42 22,905 48 20,202 47 3.0 13.4

Oklahoma 23,577 42 24,716 38 20,759 43 –4.6 19.1

North Dakota 23,213 44 25,626 33 21,744 41 –9.4 17.9

Montana 22,988 45 25,839 33 23,403 34 –11.0 10.4

Kentucky 22,534 46 23,401 46 20,573 45 –3.7 13.7

South Dakota 22,503 46 22,045 49 20,299 47 2.1 8.6

Louisiana 21,949 48 25,516 33 20,576 45 –14.0 24.0

Arkansas 21,147 49 20,467 50 16,856 50 3.3 21.4

West Virginia 20,795 50 24,405 38 20,416 47 –14.8 19.5

Mississippi 20,136 51 20,269 51 16,432 51 –0.7* 23.4

Regions

Northeast 33,826 1 29,006 3 29,121 1 16.6 –0.4

West 32,270 2 29,879 1 28,133 3 8.0 6.2

Midwest 29,334 3 29,748 2 28,237 2 –1.4 5.4

South 26,832 4 25,668 4 22,606 4 4.5 13.6

Note: Asterisks signify changes were not statistically different from zero. Some States 

may have the same ranking because medians were not statistically different.

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS STATISTICAL BRIEF February 1993

two decades for the 50 States

and the District of Columbia. The

decennial census provides reliable sub-national income estimates and rankings unavailable

from current surveys. 

Connecticut leads the 

way in 1989.

Regionally, the Northeast had the

highest median household income ($33,826) in 1989. It contained 6 of the 13 highest- income States in the Nation, led by

Connecticut, at $41,721.

The West followed closely, at

$32,270. Alaska (the leader in

1969 and 1979, 2nd in 1989),

Hawaii, and California were all

among the top 8 in the country.

Montana and New Mexico,

though, were in the bottom 11.

The Midwest lagged further behind, at $29,334. Illinois (ranked

12th nationally) led the region, 

at $32,252. Nine of the 12 Midwestern States had median incomes below the national value.

Although the South contained 

3 of the 10 highest-income

States (Maryland, Delaware, 

and Virginia), 13 States had 

incomes below the national median, including the Nation’s four

lowest-income States: Mississippi (the lowest at $20,136), West

Virginia, Arkansas, and Louisiana. As a result, the South

ranked last among the regions in

income, at $26,832.

Northeast contains the 

biggest gainers.

After adjusting for inflation, the

Nation’s median household income rose by 7 percent between

1979 and 1989. The national increase, though, masked a great

deal of State-by-State variation.

During the 1980’s:

 Twenty-six States and the District of Columbia saw their real

income rise.

 Four saw their income remain

statistically unchanged.






States With the Very Largest Income 

Gains Are Concentrated in the Northeast

Percent change in median household income: 1979 to 1989

(In 1989 dollars)

+20% or more

+10% to +19.9%

+0.1% to +9.9%

No significant change

–0.1% to –9.9%

–10% or more































































 









    













 







































 























WA

OR

CA

NV

NM AZ

TX LA

ID

ND

SD

OK

KS

NE

WY

UT

CO

WI

MN

IA

IL

TN

FL

MO

AR

MS AL GA

SC

NY

ME

AK

HI

MD

NJ

CT

RI

MA

VT

NH

DC

MT

Percent Change

United States = 6.5%

VA

OH

WV

KY

NC





 DE

PA 









MI 





IN

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS STATISTICAL BRIEF February 1993

 The remaining 20 States

showed declines.

The big gainers were concentrated in 3 different areas:

The Northeast. All 6 States to

show increases of 20 percent 

or more were located here (see

map below and table on preceding page). New Hampshire led,

with a 27-percent increase. Consequently, 5 of the 8 States that

jumped at least 10 places in the

national income rankings were

located in the Northeast. The two

biggest moves were made by

Maine, whose rank leaped from

47th to 27th, and Vermont,

whose position jumped from 38th

to 20th. Incidentally, real 

income rose in every State here.

The South Atlantic Division.

These are the States along the

Atlantic coast from Delaware to

Florida, along with West Virginia

and the District of Columbia.

Eight States in the division

showed gains — most between

10 and 20 percent — in real median household income. The District of Columbia, Georgia, and

Florida all recorded jumps of 10

places or more in the national income rankings.

The West. California and Hawaii

were the two big gainers here, at

17 and 13 percent, respectively.

These States alone carried the

West to its overall 8 percent gain

— none of the other States here

did better than a 2-percent increase.

Four States stand out for their

large declines between 1979 and

1989:

 Wyoming had the Nation’s

greatest income decline, 

19 percent, plunging its rank

from 4th to 30th.

 West Virginia showed a 15—

percent loss, dropping its rank

from 38th to 50th.

 Louisiana had a decline of 14

percent, lowering its rank from

33rd to 48th.

 Montana, with an 11-percent

drop, saw its ranking fall from

33rd to 45th.

The Midwest is notable as the

only region that suffered an overall decline in median income.

The Midwestern picture looks

like this:

Only 3 States showed even modest gains (less than 5 percent)

— Minnesota, Missouri, and

South Dakota.

Incomes fell in the remaining 9

States. The biggest percentage

losses belonged to North Dakota

and Iowa, at 9 and 7 percent, respectively. As a result, both

dropped significantly in their

rankings — from 33rd to 44th for

North Dakota, 23rd to 35th for

Iowa. Ohio and Indiana also fell

more than 10 places.

Many States posted

consecutive real gains .....

Twenty-one States posted 

gains in real median household

income during both the 1969-

1979 and 1979-1989 periods

(see table on page 2). A half

dozen of them — all in the South

Atlantic Division — posted real

gains each decade comparable

to or exceeding the national 

average: Maryland, Virginia,
Eight Components 

of Money Income

(as itemized on census 

questionnaire)

1. Wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, and tips

from all jobs (amount before deductions for taxes,

bonds, dues, or other

items).

2. Self–employment income

from own nonfarm business, including proprietorships and partnerships

(net income after business expenses).

3. Farm self–employment income (net income after

operating expenses — 

includes earnings as a

tenant farmer or sharecropper).

4. Interest, dividends, net

rental income or royalty

income, income from 

estates and trusts.

5. Social Security or 

Railroad Retirement.

6. Supplemental Security 

Income (SSI), Aid to 

Families with Dependent

Children (AFDC), or other

public assistance or public

welfare payments.

7. Retirement, survivor, or

disability pensions.

8. Any other sources of income received regularly

— for instance, Veterans’

(VA) payments, unemployment compensation,

child support, or alimony.

Does not include lump–

sum payments, such as

money from an inheritance or the sale of 

a home.

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS STATISTICAL BRIEF February 1993

Georgia, Florida, and North and

South Carolina.

..... while others experienced

large turnarounds.

Five times as many States experienced declines in incomes between 1979 and 1989 as had in

the previous 10 years (20

compared with 4). The degree of

decline was also greater during

the 1980’s. Each of the States

that suffered declines between

1969 and 1979 had relatively

small losses — less than 5 percent. During the next 10 years, in

contrast, 2 States had declines

between 5 and 10 percent and 4

experienced decreases of greater than 10 percent.

Interestingly, each State that suffered a real income loss between

1979 and 1989 had posted a real

gain between 1969 and 1979.

Three States had especially dramatic turnarounds:

 Wyoming had the greatest

swing. Its 1980’s-leading loss of

19 percent followed a 1970’sleading gain of 33 percent.

 Louisiana had a 38-point

swing (from +24 percent in the

’70’s to –14 percent in the ’80’s),

West Virginia a 35-point swing

(from +20 percent to –15 percent).

Conversely, the only States that

had real income losses between

1969 and 1979 were 4 Northeastern States — Connecticut,

Massachusetts, New York, and

Vermont, all very big gainers during the 1980’s.

More information:

Income data down to the block

group level from the 1990 Census of Population are available

from Summary Tape File 3A on

computer tape and CD-ROM.

They also are available (for 

geographic entities down to the

place level) in printed report series, such as Summary Social,

Economic, and Housing Characteristics, Series 1990, CPH-5.

Population and Housing Characteristics for Census Tracts and

Block Numbering Areas, Series

1990, CPH-3, contains information for even smaller entities. Call

Customer Services at the Census Bureau (301-763-4100) for

more information on 1990 Census products.

Contacts:

Income —

Lydia Scoon-Rogers

301-763-8576

Statistical Briefs —

Robert Bernstein

301-763-1584

This brief is one of a series that

presents information of current

interest. It examines data from

the 1990 Census and previous

censuses. A complete description of statistical quality and 

limitations are included in the

introduction and appendices of

the 1990 Census printed reports.