How much do you need to earn to be in the top 1% in your state in 2026?
Posted
Toby Nelson for SmartAsset
Fewer than 2 million American households rank among the top 1% of earners. When examined by state, the income needed to join this group varies dramatically. In some places, households can enter the top 1% at income levels that fall well below the threshold elsewhere, reflecting an uneven landscape of wages and wealth.
SmartAsset analyzed IRS tax return data by state for 2022, the most recent year available. Values were adjusted using personal income growth data to estimate the thresholds needed to enter the top 1%, 5% and 10% by state in 2026. These state-by-state estimates show how the definition of top-tier earnings changes across the country.
Key Findings
D.C. and Connecticut lead. In the District of Columbia, households need nearly $1.16 million in adjusted gross income to enter the top 1%, the highest threshold in the study. Among states, Connecticut leads, with households needing $1.15 million.
Only two states have top 1% thresholds above $1 million. In addition to Connecticut, Massachusetts also has a top 1% threshold above $1 million in adjusted gross income.
West Virginia has the lowest threshold for entering the top 1%. In West Virginia, households need an estimated $445,892 in adjusted gross income to enter the top 1%, the lowest threshold in the U.S. Entering the top 10% requires $158,674.
Mississippi has the lowest threshold for entering the top 10%. In Mississippi, households need about $153,067 in adjusted gross income to enter the top 10%.
Millions of tax filers rank among the top 10%. While the top 1% represents a relatively small share of earners in the U.S., more than an estimated 23 million tax filers rank among the top 10%.
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States Ordered by Top 1% Threshold
Note that the total number of filers in each state is a 2022 figure. All other values use 2022 data forward-adjusted to 2026 using BEA personal income growth estimates.
1. District of Columbia
Total number of top 1% filers: 3,355
Top 1% threshold: $1,156,664
Top 5% threshold: $444,318
Top 10% threshold: $294,501
2. Connecticut
Total number of top 1% filers: 16,917
Top 1% threshold: $1,147,898
Top 5% threshold: $393,418
Top 10% threshold: $257,312
3. Massachusetts
Total number of top 1% filers: 32,795
Top 1% threshold: $1,006,921
Top 5% threshold: $394,804
Top 10% threshold: $263,230
4. California
Total number of top 1% filers: 175,045
Top 1% threshold: $987,325
Top 5% threshold: $385,023
Top 10% threshold: $251,417
5. New Jersey
Total number of top 1% filers: 43,042
Top 1% threshold: $969,976
Top 5% threshold: $395,176
Top 10% threshold: $264,706
6. New York
Total number of top 1% filers: 91,840
Top 1% threshold: $959,562
Top 5% threshold: $331,196
Top 10% threshold: $220,737
7. Florida
Total number of top 1% filers: 105,101
Top 1% threshold: $956,449
Top 5% threshold: $313,641
Top 10% threshold: $205,567
8. Washington
Total number of top 1% filers: 35,597
Top 1% threshold: $903,303
Top 5% threshold: $392,339
Top 10% threshold: $264,137
9. Colorado
Total number of top 1% filers: 27,685
Top 1% threshold: $828,772
Top 5% threshold: $341,655
Top 10% threshold: $234,601
10. Wyoming
Total number of top 1% filers: 2,611
Top 1% threshold: $819,014
Top 5% threshold: $271,090
Top 10% threshold: $192,282
11. Texas
Total number of top 1% filers: 128,130
Top 1% threshold: $817,158
Top 5% threshold: $312,671
Top 10% threshold: $210,609
12. New Hampshire
Total number of top 1% filers: 6,796
Top 1% threshold: $787,677
Top 5% threshold: $333,275
Top 10% threshold: $234,391
13. Nevada
Total number of top 1% filers: 14,754
Top 1% threshold: $779,102
Top 5% threshold: $275,387
Top 10% threshold: $190,948
14. Illinois
Total number of top 1% filers: 56,794
Top 1% threshold: $774,921
Top 5% threshold: $310,232
Top 10% threshold: $214,480
15. Utah
Total number of top 1% filers: 13,991
Top 1% threshold: $758,582
Top 5% threshold: $297,309
Top 10% threshold: $208,697
16. Virginia
Total number of top 1% filers: 39,103
Top 1% threshold: $753,520
Top 5% threshold: $337,888
Top 10% threshold: $239,451
17. South Dakota
Total number of top 1% filers: 4,062
Top 1% threshold: $753,105
Top 5% threshold: $280,392
Top 10% threshold: $195,067
18. Montana
Total number of top 1% filers: 5,101
Top 1% threshold: $723,921
Top 5% threshold: $277,491
Top 10% threshold: $192,383
19. Maryland
Total number of top 1% filers: 29,040
Top 1% threshold: $721,949
Top 5% threshold: $324,191
Top 10% threshold: $233,906
20. Minnesota
Total number of top 1% filers: 26,423
Top 1% threshold: $718,773
Top 5% threshold: $305,755
Top 10% threshold: $215,612
21. North Dakota
Total number of top 1% filers: 3,431
Top 1% threshold: $717,271
Top 5% threshold: $281,188
Top 10% threshold: $198,217
22. North Carolina
Total number of top 1% filers: 46,525
Top 1% threshold: $716,423
Top 5% threshold: $300,452
Top 10% threshold: $206,036
23. Georgia
Total number of top 1% filers: 46,220
Top 1% threshold: $714,243
Top 5% threshold: $288,746
Top 10% threshold: $196,438
24. Tennessee
Total number of top 1% filers: 30,531
Top 1% threshold: $706,040
Top 5% threshold: $274,059
Top 10% threshold: $189,419
25. Arizona
Total number of top 1% filers: 31,872
Top 1% threshold: $705,747
Top 5% threshold: $287,644
Top 10% threshold: $199,573
26. Pennsylvania
Total number of top 1% filers: 58,541
Top 1% threshold: $695,889
Top 5% threshold: $288,848
Top 10% threshold: $201,279
27. Idaho
Total number of top 1% filers: 8,145
Top 1% threshold: $688,149
Top 5% threshold: $273,414
Top 10% threshold: $191,796
28. Nebraska
Total number of top 1% filers: 8,660
Top 1% threshold: $657,293
Top 5% threshold: $273,344
Top 10% threshold: $196,316
29. Rhode Island
Total number of top 1% filers: 5,224
Top 1% threshold: $653,932
Top 5% threshold: $280,017
Top 10% threshold: $201,394
30. Oregon
Total number of top 1% filers: 19,053
Top 1% threshold: $650,746
Top 5% threshold: $292,323
Top 10% threshold: $206,732
31. South Carolina
Total number of top 1% filers: 23,203
Top 1% threshold: $649,117
Top 5% threshold: $270,035
Top 10% threshold: $189,868
32. Kansas
Total number of top 1% filers: 12,643
Top 1% threshold: $648,255
Top 5% threshold: $269,777
Top 10% threshold: $191,545
33. Alaska
Total number of top 1% filers: 3,223
Top 1% threshold: $625,926
Top 5% threshold: $284,471
Top 10% threshold: $211,048
34. Vermont
Total number of top 1% filers: 3,123
Top 1% threshold: $620,224
Top 5% threshold: $265,634
Top 10% threshold: $189,257
35. Wisconsin
Total number of top 1% filers: 27,293
Top 1% threshold: $606,926
Top 5% threshold: $259,244
Top 10% threshold: $188,443
36. Delaware
Total number of top 1% filers: 4,726
Top 1% threshold: $604,432
Top 5% threshold: $272,439
Top 10% threshold: $197,995
37. Michigan
Total number of top 1% filers: 45,218
Top 1% threshold: $602,265
Top 5% threshold: $258,892
Top 10% threshold: $186,008
38. Missouri
Total number of top 1% filers: 26,898
Top 1% threshold: $602,032
Top 5% threshold: $255,721
Top 10% threshold: $182,770
39. Hawai‘i
Total number of top 1% filers: 6,472
Top 1% threshold: $601,551
Top 5% threshold: $267,839
Top 10% threshold: $195,562
40. Maine
Total number of top 1% filers: 6,618
Top 1% threshold: $601,038
Top 5% threshold: $257,831
Top 10% threshold: $184,546
41. Louisiana
Total number of top 1% filers: 18,593
Top 1% threshold: $593,101
Top 5% threshold: $242,862
Top 10% threshold: $174,298
42. Ohio
Total number of top 1% filers: 53,103
Top 1% threshold: $591,894
Top 5% threshold: $249,555
Top 10% threshold: $177,376
43. Oklahoma
Total number of top 1% filers: 16,106
Top 1% threshold: $591,698
Top 5% threshold: $243,416
Top 10% threshold: $174,169
44. Iowa
Total number of top 1% filers: 13,821
Top 1% threshold: $578,240
Top 5% threshold: $252,141
Top 10% threshold: $183,841
45. Alabama
Total number of top 1% filers: 20,185
Top 1% threshold: $574,000
Top 5% threshold: $244,251
Top 10% threshold: $176,453
46. Indiana
Total number of top 1% filers: 30,120
Top 1% threshold: $561,871
Top 5% threshold: $240,150
Top 10% threshold: $175,086
47. Arkansas
Total number of top 1% filers: 12,198
Top 1% threshold: $558,009
Top 5% threshold: $233,963
Top 10% threshold: $165,871
48. Kentucky
Total number of top 1% filers: 18,395
Top 1% threshold: $540,116
Top 5% threshold: $234,204
Top 10% threshold: $170,309
49. New Mexico
Total number of top 1% filers: 9,310
Top 1% threshold: $492,703
Top 5% threshold: $230,294
Top 10% threshold: $166,682
50. Mississippi
Total number of top 1% filers: 11,731
Top 1% threshold: $471,504
Top 5% threshold: $209,394
Top 10% threshold: $153,067
41. West Virginia
Total number of top 1% filers: 7,316
Top 1% threshold: $445,892
Top 5% threshold: $210,286
Top 10% threshold: $158,674
Methodology
IRS tax return data for 2022, the most recent year available, was segregated by state and adjusted using state-level personal income growth from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to estimate the income thresholds needed to rank among the top 1%, 5% and 10% of earners in each state in 2026. Values for the top 1%, 5% and 10% reflect individual tax return filers, not individual people or households. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.
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