Just looked at some income data and it's wild how much being 'rich' actually varies by state. Like, to crack the top 20% in West Virginia you need around $103k, but in New Jersey you're looking at almost $181k for the same percentile. That's a massive gap.



The northeast is brutal if you want to be considered wealthy. New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut all pushing $180k+ just to hit top 20%. California and New York aren't far behind either. Meanwhile down south - West Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky - you can get there with like half that.

What's interesting is the top 10% income in US varies so dramatically by location. To actually be in the top 5% earners? New Jersey wants $563k, Connecticut wants $603k. But in states like Alabama or Kentucky you're looking at $337k-$350k for the same elite bracket.

So yeah, 'being rich' is totally relative. Your income means completely different things depending on where you live. Makes you think about where the real wealth actually is in this country.
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