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A mural depicting a more vibrant time in the town's history decorates a building in Welch, W.Va. (AP/David Goldman) A mural depicting a more vibrant time in the town's history decorates a building in Welch, W.Va. (AP/David Goldman)

A mural depicting a more vibrant time in the town's history decorates a building in Welch, W.Va. (AP/David Goldman)

By Julia Mellett December 7, 2018
By Sadaf Nikzad December 7, 2018

Did West Virginia rank 50th in household income in 2017? Yes

In a Nov. 8 op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Mike Romano, a Democratic West Virginia state senator, said West Virginia’s median household income was nearly $17,000 below the national average.

"In 2017, West Virginia’s $43,469 median household income was $16,867 below the national average, ranking 50th, according to the U.S. Census Bureau," Romano wrote.

Is that correct? We took a closer look.

In September 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report that included data for household income in 2017.

The figure for the United States was $60,336, while the figure for West Virginia was $43,469. The difference is exactly $16,867, as Romano said.

Meanwhile, we ranked the 50 states by household income and found that West Virginia ranked last, trailing Mississippi by $60.

Here’s the full ranking:

Maryland

$80,776

New Jersey

80,088

Hawaii

77,765

Massachusetts

77,385

Connecticut

74,168

New Hampshire

73,381

Alaska

73,181

California

71,805

Virginia

71,535

Washington

70,979

Colorado

69,117

Minnesota

68,388

Utah

68,358

New York

64,894

Rhode Island

63,870

Illinois

62,992

Delaware

62,852

North Dakota

61,843

Wyoming

60,434

Oregon

60,212

Nebraska

59,970

Wisconsin

59,305

Texas

59,206

Pennsylvania

59,195

Iowa

58,570

Nevada

58,003

Vermont

57,513

Arizona

56,581

South Dakota

56,521

Kansas

56,422

Maine

56,277

Georgia

56,183

Michigan

54,909

Indiana

54,181

Ohio

54,021

Missouri

53,578

Montana

53,386

North Carolina

52,752

Florida

52,594

Idaho

52,225

Tennessee

51,340

South Carolina

50,570

Oklahoma

50,051

Kentucky

48,375

Alabama

48,123

New Mexico

46,744

Louisiana

46,145

Arkansas

45,869

Mississippi

43,529

West Virginia

43,469

 
Our ruling

Romano wrote, "In 2017, West Virginia’s $43,469 median household income was $16,867 below the national average, ranking 50th according to the U.S. Census Bureau."

His statement is fully correct -- on West Virginia’s median household income, on its distance from the national average, and in its 50th place ranking.

We rate the statement True.

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"In 2017, West Virginia’s $43,469 median household income was $16,867 below the national average, ranking 50th."
an op-ed
Thursday, November 8, 2018

Our Sources

Charleston Gazette-Mail, "Mike Romano: Creating a real economic comeback" (op-ed), Nov. 8, 2018

U.S. Census Bureau, "Household Income: 2017," September 2018

Email interview with Mike Romano, Dec. 4 2018

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More by Julia Mellett

Did West Virginia rank 50th in household income in 2017? Yes

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