Per Capita Income by State: 2025 Rankings and Key Trends

Per capita personal income is one of the most direct measures of economic well-being at the state level. In 2025, the gap between the highest- and lowest-income states remained stark: the District of Columbia’s per capita income of $116,121 was more than double Mississippi’s $54,531. Connecticut led all states at $98,879, while the U.S. average reached $76,393, up 4.3% from 2024. These figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis highlight persistent regional divides driven by industry mix, educational attainment, and cost of living.

Key Numbers

• U.S. average per capita personal income, 2025: $76,393
• Highest state: Connecticut at $98,879
• Lowest state: Mississippi at $54,531
• District of Columbia: $116,121 (not a state)
• Year-over-year increase: 4.3% ($73,227 to $76,393)
• Gap between Connecticut and Mississippi: about $44,000
• 10-year climbers: Utah +75.5%, Arizona +71.2%
• Bottom five states: all below $62,000

Explanation

Per capita personal income is calculated by dividing total personal income in a state by its total population. Personal income includes wages and salaries, employer-provided benefits, rental income, dividends, interest, and government transfer payments, minus contributions for social insurance. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) releases these estimates annually and quarterly, providing a consistent measure of economic resources available to residents.

The 2025 data show a clear regional pattern. The Northeast and New England dominate the top tier, with Connecticut, Massachusetts, and several neighboring states posting the highest incomes. The District of Columbia, while not a state, far exceeds every state because of its concentration of federal employment and high-paying professional services. In contrast, many Southern states and parts of Appalachia have the lowest per capita incomes, reflecting different industry structures, educational attainment levels, and historical economic development patterns.

It is important to note that these figures are in nominal dollars and are not adjusted for differences in the cost of living. A dollar of income in Mississippi buys more than a dollar in Connecticut, so the raw gap overstates differences in purchasing power. Nevertheless, per capita personal income remains a key indicator for comparing economic capacity across states.

Definition

Per capita personal income is the total personal income of a state’s residents divided by the state’s total population. It represents the average income received by each person, including children and non-workers, from all sources. The BEA defines personal income as the sum of net earnings by place of residence, property income (rental, interest, and dividend income), and personal current transfer receipts, less contributions for government social insurance.

How the Statistic Is Calculated

The BEA calculates state personal income by summing the income received by all residents of a state. The main components are:

• Net earnings: wages, salaries, and employer supplements (such as health insurance and pension contributions) minus contributions for social insurance.
• Property income: rental income, personal interest income, and personal dividend income.
• Transfer receipts: government payments such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, and veterans’ benefits.

After total personal income is determined, it is divided by the Census Bureau’s midyear population estimate for the state to produce per capita personal income.

National Comparison

The U.S. average per capita personal income rose from $73,227 in 2024 to $76,393 in 2025, a nominal increase of 4.3%. This growth reflects broad gains in wages, salaries, and transfer receipts across the country. However, the national average masks significant variation: 19 states and the District of Columbia had per capita incomes above the U.S. average, while the remaining states fell below it.

State Comparison

Connecticut had the highest per capita personal income among states in 2025 at $98,879, followed by Massachusetts at $97,456 and California at $91,116. At the other end, Mississippi was the lowest at $54,531, with West Virginia ($57,932), Alabama ($59,677), Kentucky ($60,673), and New Mexico ($61,645) rounding out the bottom five. The gap between Connecticut and Mississippi was roughly $44,000, or about 45% of Mississippi’s income.

The table below shows selected states from the 2025 BEA release, illustrating the range of values.

Ranking Table

The following table presents the highest and lowest per capita personal income values among states and the District of Columbia for 2025, based on BEA data. Because the full 50-state ranking includes states not shown in the available release excerpt, this table highlights the extremes.

Note: Ranks for states not listed are omitted; the table shows the top and bottom of the distribution.

Year-over-Year Change

All states saw nominal increases in per capita personal income from 2024 to 2025, consistent with the national 4.3% rise. The table below shows the change for selected states using BEA data.

10-Year Change

Over the past decade, some Western states have climbed rapidly in per capita personal income. According to BEA data cited by Mappr, Utah’s per capita personal income grew by 75.5% over 10 years, Arizona’s by 71.2%, and Washington also ranked among the top climbers. These gains reflect strong population growth, expanding technology and service sectors, and migration of higher-income workers.

Factors Behind the Trend

Several factors explain the persistent state-level differences in per capita personal income:

• Industry mix: States with large finance, technology, and professional services sectors tend to have higher average incomes.
• Educational attainment: Higher levels of college education correlate with higher earnings.
• Federal employment: The District of Columbia and states with large federal facilities benefit from high-paying government jobs.
• Cost of living and migration: High-income states often have higher costs, which can attract high earners but also push out lower-income residents.
• Demographics: Age structure, labor force participation, and household composition affect per capita income.

Why It Matters

Per capita personal income is a key indicator for policymakers, businesses, and researchers. It influences federal funding formulas, state tax revenue capacity, and regional economic development strategies. States with higher per capita income generally have greater fiscal resources to invest in education, infrastructure, and public services, while lower-income states may face greater challenges in meeting residents’ needs.

Limitations of the Data

While per capita personal income is widely used, it has important limitations. It is an average, not a median, so it can be skewed by a small number of very high earners. It is not adjusted for differences in the cost of living, which can significantly affect purchasing power. It also includes income from all sources, including transfer payments, which may reflect need rather than economic productivity. Finally, the data are nominal and do not account for inflation when comparing across years unless adjusted separately.

Source & Data Date

The primary source for this article is the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) release of state personal income for 2025, as published in the FRED database by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and summarized by Mappr. The data reflect annual per capita personal income for 2025, with the preceding period being 2024. Additional context comes from the BEA’s quarterly GDP and personal income release for the third quarter of 2025, published January 23, 2026.