4. New Jersey
> Median household income: $72,222
> Population: 8,958,013 (11th highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 5.6% (18th highest)
> Poverty rate: 10.8% (8th lowest)
While New Jersey households report some of the highest incomes in the nation, living in the state is not cheap. Goods and services cost an average of 14.5% more in New Jersey than across the country. Housing is also very expensive in the state. The median home value of $322,600 in New Jersey is considerably higher than the national median home value of $194,500.
Few states have a higher proportion of high-income households than New Jersey, where 10.9% earn $200,000 or more a year. While certainly not a guarantee for such high wages, high college attainment among adults in New Jersey partially explains the high median income. More than 37.6% of adults have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 30.6% nationally.