- Wage growth has been dismal for many American workers, coinciding with record-low unemployment.
- The federal poverty line in America is $25,750 for a family of four, except in Alaska and Hawaii, where it's $32,190 and $29,620, respectively.
- To better understand what it means to be "poor" in each state, we calculated the income it takes to be at the poverty level in every state based on buying power, or regional price parities.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories
Depending on which state you live, your dollar may be worth a lot more — or a lot less.
According to the United States Census Bureau, 11.8% of the US population is living in poverty, which means they're earning below $25,750 for a family of four, except in Alaska and Hawaii, where it's $32,190 and $29,620, respectively.
But the cost of living varies from state to state, so in order to better understand what it means to be "poor" in each state, we used data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis that indicates how far $100 goes in each state, known as buying power, or regional price parities. For example, a person in New York needs to spend $115.80 to get the same goods that a person in Delaware pays $100.10 for, whereas a Mississippi resident would pay $85.70.
Based on this buying power, we then calculated how much a family of four actually to needs to make to be at the poverty line. Based on the example above, a New York family must earn $29,818 to have the buying power of a typical American family at the poverty line, whereas the threshold for a Delaware or Mississippi family is lower — $25,776 and $22,067, respectively.
Below, see what's considered "poor" in every state, ranked from lowest to highest salary needed to be at the poverty line based on buying power.
DON'T MISS: The best cities in each US state for middle-class families
51. Mississippi
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $85.70
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $22,067
50. Arkansas
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $86.50
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $22,273
49. Alabama
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $86.70
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $22,325
48. West Virginia
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $87
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $22,402
47. Kentucky
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $87.90
Poverty line: $25,100
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $22,634
46. South Dakota
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $88.20
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $22,711
45. Ohio
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $88.90
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $22,891
44. Oklahoma
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $89
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $22,917
43. Missouri
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $89.50
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,046
42. Nebraska
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $89.60
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,072
41. Iowa
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $89.80
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,123
40. Indiana
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $89.80
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,123
39. Kansas
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $90
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,175
38. Louisiana
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $90.10
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,200
37. North Dakota
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $90.10
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,200
36. Tennessee
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $90.40
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,278
35. South Carolina
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $90.40
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,278
34. North Carolina
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $91.30
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,509
33. Wisconsin
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $92.40
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,793
32. Georgia
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $92.50
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,818
31. Idaho
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $93
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,947
30. Michigan
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $93
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $23,947
29. New Mexico
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $93.30
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $24,024
28. Montana
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $94.60
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $24,359
27. Wyoming
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $95.20
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $24,514
26. Arizona
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $96.40
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $24,823
25. Texas
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $97
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $24,977
24. Utah
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $97
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $24,977
23. Minnesota
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $97.50
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $25,106
22. Nevada
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $97.60
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $25,132
21. Pennsylvania
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $97.90
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $25,209
20. Maine
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $98.40
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $25,338
19. Illinois
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $98.50
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $25,363
18. Rhode Island
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $98.60
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $25,389
17. Oregon
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $99.50
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $25,621
16. Florida
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $99.90
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $25,724
15. Delaware
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $100.10
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $25,775
14. Virginia
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $102.10
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $26,290
13. Vermont
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $102.50
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $26,393
12. Colorado
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $103.20
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $26,574
11. New Hampshire
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $105.80
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $27,243
10. Washington
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $106.40
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $27,398
9. Massachusetts
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $107.90
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $27,784
8. Connecticut
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $108
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $27,810
7. Maryland
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $109.40
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $28,170
6. New Jersey
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $112.90
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $29,071
5. California
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $114.80
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $29,561
4. New York
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $115.80
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $29,818
3. Washington, DC
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $116.90
Poverty line: $25,750
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $30,101
2. Alaska
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $104.40
Poverty line: $32,190
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $33,606
1. Hawaii
Money needed to buy $100 nationally: $118.50
Poverty line: $29,620
Salary needed to be at poverty line based on buying power: $35,099
- Read more:
- The cheapest states to get gas, ranked
- The 25 US cities with the lowest cost of living
- 25 festive places to spend the holidays around the world
- The 50 best places to live in America right now, ranked