The 2020 Census shows extreme variation in U.S. city population density, from dense urban villages in the Northeast to sprawling metros. Friendship Heights Village, Maryland, leads all places with about 90,800 people per square mile, while New Jersey and New York dominate the top rankings. This article breaks down the latest official density figures, methods, and what they reveal about urbanization.
An analysis of the distribution of money income across U.S. households in 2024. This report examines the Gini Index and the share of aggregate income held by different population quintiles to measure economic disparity.
Median household income in the United States varies sharply by household type. Married-couple families consistently report the highest median incomes, while female-householder families with children and nonfamily households report the lowest. The most recent Census Bureau data show a gap of roughly two-to-one between married-couple families and female-householder families.
The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area leads the United States with a median household income of $162,576 in the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Los Alamos, NM and Nantucket, MA follow at $147,139 and $139,688, respectively. California dominates the top 25 with seven entries, while the national median household income stands at $83,730.
The latest U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2020–2024) show that dozens of U.S. cities report median household incomes at or above the Census Bureau’s top-code of $250,000. California and Texas dominate the list, with Los Altos, CA, University Park, TX, and McLean, VA among the highest-income places. This article breaks down the rankings, methodology, and limitations of the data.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that U.S. per capita personal income reached $76,393 in 2025, up 4.3% from 2024. The District of Columbia leads all areas at $116,121, while Connecticut is the top state at $98,879 and Mississippi is the lowest at $54,531. Over the past decade, Utah, Arizona, and Washington have been the fastest climbers, with Utah up 75.5% and Arizona up 71.2%.
In the first quarter of 2026, real gross domestic product increased in 47 of 50 states, with Washington leading at 4.5 percent annualized growth and South Dakota contracting by 1.6 percent. The national growth rate was 2.1 percent, a sharp acceleration from 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. This article examines state-level GDP trends, rankings, and the factors behind the uneven recovery.
The unemployment rate and unemployment insurance claims are both key labor market indicators, but they measure different things. The unemployment rate is a broad survey-based estimate of all jobless people actively seeking work, while UI claims are administrative counts of people applying for or receiving unemployment benefits. In 2026, low UI claims have masked a more challenging experience for the long-term unemployed, as fewer people enter the rolls but those who do stay longer and increasingly exhaust benefits.
California alone accounts for about 14.5% of U.S. GDP, and the four largest state economies—California, Texas, New York, and Florida—together generate more than 37% of national output. Most states contribute between 1% and 2% of GDP, while many smaller states contribute less than 0.5%. The U.S. economy now exceeds $30 trillion in nominal terms, with state-level growth varying widely from quarter to quarter.
A dollar’s purchasing power varies widely by state. Adjusting median household income for regional price parities shows states like West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas gain the most, while the District of Columbia, New York, and New Jersey lose the most. The national median household income is $80,610 at an RPP baseline of 100.