By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Virginia ranks first in the nation for household income in 2025, according to a new analysis from the personal finance site WalletHub.
The report evaluated all 50 states and the District of Columbia using three key income metrics: the average income of the top 5%, the average income of the bottom 20% and the median household income. The goal was to identify where residents are earning the most across the board.
Virginia topped the list with a strong showing in each category. The top 5% of earners make an average of $533,522 per year, ranking third in the nation. The bottom 20% earn $19,293, the fourth-highest for that group. The commonwealth’s median household income is $93,275, ranking 17th overall.
New Jersey ranked second overall, followed by New York, Connecticut and Washington. At the bottom of the list were West Virginia, New Mexico and Mississippi.
Surrounding states also performed well. Maryland ranked 15th overall, with a top 5% income of $438,321 and a median income of $128,496. The District of Columbia ranked 13th, with the highest median income in the nation at $169,153, but a much lower bottom 20% income of $9,768.
WalletHub analysts said in Virginia, both high- and low-earning households outperform their counterparts in most other states.
“Virginia is the state where people have the highest income, when balancing between the median, top 5% and bottom 20% of earners.”
“While there is a big gap between these two numbers, the top 5% ranks as the third-highest in the nation, while the bottom 20% ranks fourth. In other words, both the rich and the poor are doing better than their counterparts in other states.”
The report also included adjusted rankings based on cost of living, and expert commentary on national income trends. According to WalletHub, the analysis is designed to give a fuller picture of income levels beyond just average or median earnings.
“By measuring the income of various percentiles against a state’s median income, we can better identify where income levels are strongest,” the report states.
