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

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Mike Romano

stated on November 8, 2018 in an op-ed:

"In 2017, West Virginia’s $43,469 median household income was $16,867 below the national average, ranking 50th."

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 Featured Fact-check TikTok posts stated on May 14, 2023 in a TikTok post This video shows empty shelves at a Florida grocery store because truckers said “they were not delivering anything to Florida !!!” By Maria Briceño • May 18, 2023	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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