This Is How Much The 1 Percent Earns In Each State

We already knew the American middle class was facing extinction, and further proof comes from this map showing how much you have to earn to be in the top one percent of your state. The statistics come via the Economic Policy Institute and their Income Inequality by State, 1917 to 2012 report, based largely on a joint report by the Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities called Pulling Apart, "a report on the growth of income in the top, middle, and bottom fifths of households in the United States and each state," released in 2012. The Institute reports wide discrepancies between the one percent and everyone else, and should instill in you a general sense of hopelessness about ever becoming "rich".

The analysis finds that "all 50 states have experienced widening income inequality in recent decades," with some pretty staggering statistics showing that the force of income growth has specifically effected the already wealthy, rather than being evenly distributed across the board. The analysis suggests "the richest five percent of U.S. households had an average income 13 times higher than the poorest 20 percent of households," which should serve to really highlight the difference between the haves and the have nots in America. Meanwhile, here's what you'd have to earn per year to be in the one percent in some of the wealthier states:

1. Connecticut, $677k +

2. D.C., $555k +

3. New Jersey, $539k +

4. Massachusetts, $532k +

5. Maryland, $419k +

Meanwhile, here's the full map so you can look up your state if it's not in the list above:

Images: The WB; Giphy (5); go.epi.org