NH ranked 7th richest in nation

According to a report from 24/7 Wall Street, based on income information from the U.S. Census Bureau, New Hampshire ranks as the 7th richest state in the nation with a median household income of $66,532. Maryland topped the list with a median income of $73,971 while Mississippi ranked last at $39,680. In New England, adjacent state Massachusetts ranked 6th, Vermont was 20th and Maine was 32nd.

Several states reported substantial increases in income, which some say indicate the overall prosperity enjoyed by citizens in the U.S. Overall, 3.2 million new jobs were added in 2014—the last year for which data was available—which represents an increase up from the 2.3 million jobs added in 2013.

However, while substantial income increases are reported in some states, the poverty rate has actually increased in 12 states. Others additionally note that other states like Washington, North Dakota, and Connecticut reported substantial decreases in income. Others point out that the ranking does not factor in the cost of living in each state.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, these numbers do not represent any “statistically significant” change from the previous year. It’s the fourth year in a row that poverty rates were not statistically different from the previous year.