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| Where to Find the Fattest Paychecks |
by Les Christie
Tuesday, September 22, 2009provided byCNNMoney.com
Census Bureau reports that Maryland had the highest median income level in 2008, at
$70,545, while Mississippi ranked very last with $37,790.
Maryland is the nation's top-earning state for the third year in a row, with a median
household income of $70,545 in 2008, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released
Monday.
The states with highest median incomes are concentrated in the far West and in the
Northeast, around the District of Columbia.
More from CNNMoney.com:
• Fat Paychecks: Where Does Your State Rank?
• Which States Have the Longest Commutes to Work?
• Which States Have the Most Uninsured People?
Most of the lowest-earning states are in the South. Mississippi had the lowest median
income of just $37,790, while West Virginia ($37,989), Arkansas ($38,815), Kentucky
($41,538), and Alabama ($42,538), round out the bottom five
The four highest earning states after Maryland, are New Jersey, which has a median
household income of $70,378, Connecticut ($68,595), Alaska ($68,460) and Hawaii ($67,214).
Real Earning Power
But if you're thinking of moving to Maryland in search of big bucks think twice. While
Maryland's median income is nearly twice that of Mississippi, the locals there aren't
necessarily walking around with twice as much money in their pockets, because of the
difference in the cost of living in each region.
CNNMoney092209-3.jpg
"It's very important to compare cost of living," said Erol Yildirim, chief economist for the
Council for Community and Economic Research. "Purchasing power is very different for
different areas."
And the cost of living in Bethesda, Md., is about 52% higher than it is in Tupelo, Miss.,
according to Yildirim. A dozen eggs costs $1.93 in Bethesda, compared with $1.50 in Tupelo,
while a loaf of bread is $1.66 compared with $1.37.
And there is a huge difference in housing costs. The average apartment rental in Bethesda is
$1,464 a month versus just $512 in Tupelo. And the median home price in Bethesda is
$529,707 compared with just $220,000 in Tupelo.
Taking these living expenses into account wipes out much of the advantage of Maryland's
higher income. Once purchasing power is taken into account, Southern and Midwestern
states become much better bargains.
Change in Pay
Florida was the only state where median income actually declined, falling 0.01% before
adjusting for inflation. Michigan and Montana barely inched up, by about 0.3% in each case.
Income in Indiana (1.1%) and Maine (1.5%) also increased very modestly. But with inflation at
over 3%, those states were effectively in negative territory.
Louisiana saw the biggest jump in income, up 6.9%. But that may be the result of all the
Federal dollars flowing into the area to rebuild it after Katrina. The state's unemployment rate
averaged less than 5% during 2008.
Another big winner was the District of Columbia, which saw median income rise 6.7% in a
year when the White House changed hands. Alaska (6.4%), Hawaii (6.3%) and Delaware
(6.2%) also recorded solid gains.
Brookings Institute demographer William Frey notes that the current economic downturn
may have actually given these median income levels a boost. That's because when times get
tough, many of the lowest-paying jobs disappear, artificially boosting income statistics.
And many of the workers who hold the lowest-paying jobs are immigrants, who are often
highly mobile, and may elect to return home and opt out of the U.S. workforce altogether.
Frey notes that in 2008, the percentage of foreign-born U.S. residents fell to 12.5% from 12.6%
in 2007, due mostly to a downturn in net immigration from Mexico, said Frey. "When many
low income people leave," said Frey, "median income can go up."
Copyrighted, CNNMoney. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009provided byCNNMoney.com
Census Bureau reports that Maryland had the highest median income level in 2008, at
$70,545, while Mississippi ranked very last with $37,790.
Maryland is the nation's top-earning state for the third year in a row, with a median
household income of $70,545 in 2008, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released
Monday.
The states with highest median incomes are concentrated in the far West and in the
Northeast, around the District of Columbia.
More from CNNMoney.com:
• Fat Paychecks: Where Does Your State Rank?
• Which States Have the Longest Commutes to Work?
• Which States Have the Most Uninsured People?
Most of the lowest-earning states are in the South. Mississippi had the lowest median
income of just $37,790, while West Virginia ($37,989), Arkansas ($38,815), Kentucky
($41,538), and Alabama ($42,538), round out the bottom five
The four highest earning states after Maryland, are New Jersey, which has a median
household income of $70,378, Connecticut ($68,595), Alaska ($68,460) and Hawaii ($67,214).
Real Earning Power
But if you're thinking of moving to Maryland in search of big bucks think twice. While
Maryland's median income is nearly twice that of Mississippi, the locals there aren't
necessarily walking around with twice as much money in their pockets, because of the
difference in the cost of living in each region.
CNNMoney092209-3.jpg
"It's very important to compare cost of living," said Erol Yildirim, chief economist for the
Council for Community and Economic Research. "Purchasing power is very different for
different areas."
And the cost of living in Bethesda, Md., is about 52% higher than it is in Tupelo, Miss.,
according to Yildirim. A dozen eggs costs $1.93 in Bethesda, compared with $1.50 in Tupelo,
while a loaf of bread is $1.66 compared with $1.37.
And there is a huge difference in housing costs. The average apartment rental in Bethesda is
$1,464 a month versus just $512 in Tupelo. And the median home price in Bethesda is
$529,707 compared with just $220,000 in Tupelo.
Taking these living expenses into account wipes out much of the advantage of Maryland's
higher income. Once purchasing power is taken into account, Southern and Midwestern
states become much better bargains.
Change in Pay
Florida was the only state where median income actually declined, falling 0.01% before
adjusting for inflation. Michigan and Montana barely inched up, by about 0.3% in each case.
Income in Indiana (1.1%) and Maine (1.5%) also increased very modestly. But with inflation at
over 3%, those states were effectively in negative territory.
Louisiana saw the biggest jump in income, up 6.9%. But that may be the result of all the
Federal dollars flowing into the area to rebuild it after Katrina. The state's unemployment rate
averaged less than 5% during 2008.
Another big winner was the District of Columbia, which saw median income rise 6.7% in a
year when the White House changed hands. Alaska (6.4%), Hawaii (6.3%) and Delaware
(6.2%) also recorded solid gains.
Brookings Institute demographer William Frey notes that the current economic downturn
may have actually given these median income levels a boost. That's because when times get
tough, many of the lowest-paying jobs disappear, artificially boosting income statistics.
And many of the workers who hold the lowest-paying jobs are immigrants, who are often
highly mobile, and may elect to return home and opt out of the U.S. workforce altogether.
Frey notes that in 2008, the percentage of foreign-born U.S. residents fell to 12.5% from 12.6%
in 2007, due mostly to a downturn in net immigration from Mexico, said Frey. "When many
low income people leave," said Frey, "median income can go up."
Copyrighted, CNNMoney. All Rights Reserved.
| Police Chief Fred Fielder's letter to City Councilman |
-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Fielder <fielderf@hotmail.com>
To: cityinformation@googlegroups.com
Sent: Fri, Apr 30, 2010 8:35 pm
Subject: RE: [Info:413] CITY COUNCIL AGENDA (PACKET) MAY 4, 2010
Joe Grubbs did you vote to deny the citizens of this community the right
to vote on the issue concerning combining the offices of City Clerk and
City Treasure?
Have you ever ridden in a public transport vehicle that ordered Coloreds
Sit In The Back or did you ever drink from a public fountain that said
Whites Only? I have witnessed both and I stand against this treatment of
our citizens and that includes me.
For anyone to vote to deny us the constitutional right to vote is the same
as having George Wallace or Orval Fabus standing in the school house
door denying American Citizens their God Given Right to make a free
choice. Those on the City Council of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas that
voted to deny us that right to vote are raciest and in my thinking the
same people that wear hoods and white sheets or have Swastika arm
bands and dreams of an Arian Nation supreme. By your vote you have
made your statement on how you stand and what you believe in your
heart. You either stand for Good or Evil. So my question to you Joe
Grubbs is this…. do you stand for the Cross or the Swastika?
Fred Fielder
From: Fred Fielder <fielderf@hotmail.com>
To: cityinformation@googlegroups.com
Sent: Fri, Apr 30, 2010 8:35 pm
Subject: RE: [Info:413] CITY COUNCIL AGENDA (PACKET) MAY 4, 2010
Joe Grubbs did you vote to deny the citizens of this community the right
to vote on the issue concerning combining the offices of City Clerk and
City Treasure?
Have you ever ridden in a public transport vehicle that ordered Coloreds
Sit In The Back or did you ever drink from a public fountain that said
Whites Only? I have witnessed both and I stand against this treatment of
our citizens and that includes me.
For anyone to vote to deny us the constitutional right to vote is the same
as having George Wallace or Orval Fabus standing in the school house
door denying American Citizens their God Given Right to make a free
choice. Those on the City Council of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas that
voted to deny us that right to vote are raciest and in my thinking the
same people that wear hoods and white sheets or have Swastika arm
bands and dreams of an Arian Nation supreme. By your vote you have
made your statement on how you stand and what you believe in your
heart. You either stand for Good or Evil. So my question to you Joe
Grubbs is this…. do you stand for the Cross or the Swastika?
Fred Fielder
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