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States With the Highest Number of Households With No Income
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Key Takeaways
- Income represents regular income payments, excluding capital gains and certain non-cash benefits such as retirement payments and health benefits.
- West Virginia has the highest rate of no-income households (34%), while California has the highest number in absolute terms (3.1 million)
Roughly one in four U.S. households are classified as having “no income” under Census Bureau definitions. Overall, this category often includes retirees, unemployed individuals, and people with disabilities.
In total, households with no income number 33.1 million nationwide, a figure shaped in part by an aging population and a poverty rate of 10.6% as of 2024. While the definition remains somewhat opaque, it highlights the scale of American homes without regular wage or salary income.
This graphic shows the number of households by U.S. state with no income, based on data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2024 1-Year Estimates.
California Leads Nationally in Households With No Income
California, the country’s most populous state, has 3.1 million households with “no-income”.
Though this is the highest number in absolute terms, its percentage of low income households (23%) is actually below the national average.
| Name | Number of Households With No Income | Share of Households With No Income |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3,126,046 | 23% |
| Florida | 2,640,572 | 29% |
| Texas | 2,366,530 | 21% |
| New York | 2,019,968 | 26% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,445,128 | 27% |
| Ohio | 1,312,408 | 27% |
| Illinois | 1,224,988 | 24% |
| Michigan | 1,159,943 | 28% |
| North Carolina | 1,142,224 | 25% |
| Georgia | 969,847 | 23% |
| Arizona | 822,380 | 28% |
| Virginia | 787,104 | 23% |
| New Jersey | 779,448 | 22% |
| Tennessee | 757,452 | 26% |
| Washington | 743,102 | 23% |
| Indiana | 682,676 | 25% |
| Missouri | 681,603 | 27% |
| Massachusetts | 669,261 | 24% |
| Wisconsin | 657,974 | 26% |
| South Carolina | 608,521 | 27% |
| Alabama | 602,948 | 29% |
| Minnesota | 561,494 | 24% |
| Kentucky | 538,147 | 29% |
| Louisiana | 535,679 | 29% |
| Colorado | 527,561 | 21% |
| Maryland | 521,301 | 22% |
| Oregon | 480,496 | 28% |
| Oklahoma | 433,471 | 27% |
| Arkansas | 370,528 | 30% |
| Connecticut | 360,848 | 25% |
| Mississippi | 348,121 | 30% |
| Iowa | 330,168 | 25% |
| Nevada | 299,206 | 24% |
| Kansas | 284,713 | 24% |
| New Mexico | 265,189 | 31% |
| West Virginia | 248,641 | 34% |
| Utah | 200,139 | 17% |
| Idaho | 196,899 | 26% |
| Nebraska | 188,997 | 23% |
| Maine | 186,796 | 30% |
| New Hampshire | 140,228 | 25% |
| Montana | 131,477 | 28% |
| Rhode Island | 121,738 | 27% |
| Hawaii | 120,190 | 24% |
| Delaware | 113,794 | 28% |
| South Dakota | 91,742 | 24% |
| North Dakota | 82,582 | 24% |
| Vermont | 78,468 | 27% |
| Wyoming | 68,708 | 27% |
| District of Columbia | 63,874 | 19% |
| Alaska | 58,570 | 21% |
As we can see, Florida ranks in second, with 2.6 million residents reporting no income. This accounts for 29% of the state’s population, likely influenced by having the second-highest share of people over age 65 in America, after Maine.
When it comes to the state with the highest share overall, West Virginia leads the country, with over one in three falling in this category. Not only does it have one of the highest poverty rates in the country, over a fifth of the population is over 65.
Meanwhile, Utah has the lowest rate (17%) in the country.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the median full-time salary by state.