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Visualizing Household Income Distribution in the U.S. by State

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Each state in the U.S. is unique, with different economic prospects and opportunities available to its residents.

For example, in a state such as New York, there is a surplus of high-paying jobs available in tech and finance sectors. Meanwhile, in places like North Dakota and Alaska, there is an incredible endowment of natural resources that help create opportunity for the people living there.

Household Income by State

Today’s visualization from Reddit shows how different each state is based on annual household income distribution data.

It’s worth noting that the below data does not take into account cost of living, which can have a big impact on how far that household income goes.

Visualizing Household Income Distribution in the U.S. by State

The above graphic, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, shows the household income distribution for each state.

The income for each state is broken down into six brackets (<$25k, $25k-$50k, etc), and data is sorted by the respective percentages of each state in the >$150k bracket.

Unlikely Leaders

Interestingly, the state with the highest percentage in the top bracket (>$150k) is New Jersey with 21.3% of households. The health and life sciences sectors are booming in the state – and 14 of 20 of the largest biopharmaceutical companies have operations in New Jersey. Meanwhile, important counties in the state also have proximity to big cities like New York City and Philadelphia, allowing people in the Garden State to easily commute to high-paying jobs in these metro centers.

Another leader that some may consider to be a surprise?

It’s the state of Alaska, which has the highest proportion of households (69.5%) earning >$50k per year in the entire country. The state is known for being rich in oil and gas, and part of the income for each household comes from the annual dividends of the Alaska Permanent Fund, which is worth $55 billion today.

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Chart: The Declining Value of the U.S. Federal Minimum Wage

This graphic compares the nominal vs. inflation-adjusted value of the U.S. minimum wage, from 1940 to 2023.

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The Declining Value of the U.S. Federal Minimum Wage

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

This graphic illustrates the history of the U.S. federal minimum wage using data compiled by Statista, in both nominal and real (inflation-adjusted) terms. The federal minimum wage was raised to $7.25 per hour in July 2009, where it has remained ever since.

Nominal vs. Real Value

The data we used to create this graphic can be found in the table below.

YearNominal value
($/hour)
Real value
($/hour)
19400.36.5
19450.46.82
19500.759.64
19550.758.52
1960110.28
19651.2512.08
19701.612.61
19752.112.04
19803.111.61
19853.359.51
19903.88.94
19954.258.49
20005.159.12
20055.158.03
20107.2510.09
20157.259.3
20187.258.78
20197.258.61
20207.258.58
20217.258.24
20227.257.61
20237.257.25

What our graphic shows is how inflation has eroded the real value of the U.S. minimum wage over time, despite nominal increases.

For instance, consider the year 1960, when the federal minimum wage was $1 per hour. After accounting for inflation, this would be worth around $10.28 today!

The two lines converge at 2023 because the nominal and real value are identical in present day terms.

Many States Have Their Own Minimum Wage

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 30 states and Washington, D.C. have implemented a minimum wage that is higher than $7.25.

The following states have adopted the federal minimum: Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Meanwhile, the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee have no wage minimums, but have to follow the federal minimum.

How Does the U.S. Minimum Wage Rank Globally?

If you found this topic interesting, check out Mapped: Minimum Wage Around the World to see which countries have the highest minimum wage in monthly terms, as of January 2023.

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