Montana Income Ranking Revealed in New 2026 Study

Have you ever been asked how much money you make? It can be a sensitive subject that makes people really uncomfortable.

I don't actually mind sharing my little peasant salary most of the time. Once upon a time, however, I had a coworker ask how much I made, and I was uneasy about relaying that to him. Was he using me for leverage? Was he genuinely curious? I don't know, but it's best to just keep all those thoughts to yourself.

With that being said, let's uncomfortably look at how much we as Montanans make compared to the rest of the country.

States Where People Have the Highest Income in 2026 (WalletHub)

WalletHub conducted a study examining the states with the highest incomes.

In order to get a feel for how well-off Americans are across the country, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key metrics: the average annual income of the top 5%, the average for the bottom 20%, and the median for all of each state’s residents. - Chip Lupo with WalletHub

They ranked all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with Montana finishing 31st.

So we're just a little below the average bear... not too shabby!

Virginia was the state where people had the highest income, followed by New York and New Jersey.

West Virginia checked in dead last at 51, with New Mexico and Mississippi just ahead.

I find it very interesting that Virginia and West Virginia border one another, yet they are on the exact opposite ends of the spectrum.