(NEXSTAR) — Data shows the wealthiest 1% of Americans control over a third of nation’s total wealth. But what it takes to be a “one-percenter” can vary based on where you live, a new analysis has found.
Personal finance website SmartAsset reviewed data from the IRS and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate how much income it takes to be among the top earners in each state.
Nationally, households earning just over $652,650 are considered the wealthiest. When it comes to individual states, SmartAsset found the requirement to be among the top 1% ranging from $368,000 to nearly $1 million.
States with the highest floor to be a one-percenter were primarily along the coasts while those with the lowest floors were primarily in the center of the country.
Technically, it was our capital that had the highest 1% threshold, not a state. The top earners in Washington, D.C. earn at least $1,013,698, SmartAsset found. When it comes to just states, nearby Connecticut topped out the list, with a one-percenter cut-off at $952,902.
If you earn $50,000 less, you’d rank among the top 1% in Massachusetts, which had the second-highest income threshold.
These five states require the most income to be among their wealthiest residents, according to SmartAsset:
- Connecticut: $952,902
- Massachusetts: $903,401
- California: $844,266
- New Jersey: $817,346
- Washington: $804,853
With the exception of Washington, these states also have the highest tax rate for top earners, all over 26%.
West Virginia has the lowest income threshold for its top earners, SmartAsset found. At $367,582, the benchmark is nearly one-third of Connecticut’s floor.
Only one other state, Mississippi, had a one-percenter threshold below $300,000.
These five states require the least income to rank among its wealthiest residents, SmartAsset determined:
- West Virginia: $367,582
- Mississippi: $381,919
- New Mexico: $411,395
- Kentucky: $445,294
- Arkansas: $450,700
Three of these states — Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia — had the lowest tax rates for its top earners. All three fell below 24%, with Arkansas reporting the lowest rate in the U.S. at 21.11%.
You can view SmartAsset’s full list, as well as its methodology, here.
Two of the states with the highest one-percenter requirements are also home to some of the wealthiest people in the U.S. Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, who both call Washington state home, ranked as second and third on Forbes’ latest list of Americans with the most net worth. Also landing among the top 10 on Forbes’ list was Washington resident Steve Ballmer, and two California residents: Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Walmart’s Jim Walton, who calls Arkansas home, was the tenth-wealthiest American on Forbes’ list.
Even if you share one-percenter status with any of the aforementioned figures, you’ll likely never surpass them — they all sport net worths in the billions.