Top 1% And Median Incomes Of The 50 States

These two images are from Business Insider. The map at the top shows the minimum income required in each state to put a person in the top 1% of income earners. You can click on the map to get a larger image that's easier to read. The list below it shows the median income of each state (and the District of Columbia). The median income is that point where half of the state's residents earn more, and the other half earns less.

Note that most of the reddest states fall in the bottom half of states in median income. This exposes Republican claims of being better for the economy than Democrats as nothing but a lie. Also note that the Republican "economic miracle" state of Texas ranks just 25th in median income (behind nearly every blue state). Texas has only elected Republican statewide officials in over 20 years.

The rich do very well in Texas, since the state's regressive tax system means they pay a much smaller percentage of their income in taxes. Those making under the median income aren't so lucky, since they pay a huge percentage of their income in taxes. In addition, Texas has both the largest number and largest percentage of minimum wage (or below) workers in the nation.

When are the people in this country going to wake up and realize that Republicans only care about the rich and the corporations -- and all of their economic policies are slanted to favor them.