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How Much Do You Need to Earn to Be in the Top 1% in Your State in 2026?

Byline profile imageWritten by Toby Nelson
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Byline profile imageReviewed by Tanza Loudenback, CFP®
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Fewer than two 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%.

Questions and Answers

In which states does it take more than $1 million in adjusted gross income to join the top 1% of tax filers?

Connecticut and Massachusetts each require more than $1 million in adjusted gross income (AGI) to join the top 1% of tax filers in their states. The District of Columbia also has a $1 million AGI threshold for joining the top 1%.

In which state does it take the least adjusted gross income to join the top 1% of tax filers?

West Virginia. Households need an estimated $445,892 in adjusted gross income to enter the top 1%, the lowest threshold in the U.S.

About how many U.S. tax filers are among the top 10% of earners?

More than an estimated 23 million tax filers rank among the top 10%.

What is considered a “high-income earner”?

The IRS defines a high-income earner as any taxpayer who reports $200,000 in adjusted gross income (AGI) or $250,000 in total positive income (TPI) on their tax return. Total positive income is the sum of all positive amounts shown for different courses of income reported on an individual tax return.

States Ordered by Top 1% Threshold

  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. Hawaii
    • 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
  51. 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

    52. *Total number of filers is a 2022 figure. All other values use 2022 data forward-adjusted to 2026 using BEA personal income growth estimates.

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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