Fact check: Which US states have the highest per capita income and where does California stand?

1. Summary of the results

The exact ranking of California's per capita income varies slightly between sources, but it consistently ranks among the top 6 states. According to one source, California ranks 6th with $66,661 per capita income ^[1], while another places it 5th with $77,339 ^[2]. The top states consistently include:

• District of Columbia: $84,538 ^[1]
• Connecticut: $79,087 ^[1]
• Massachusetts: $74,967 ^[1]
• New York: $71,440 ^[1]
• New Jersey: $70,979 ^[1]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual factors should be considered when interpreting these rankings:

• The figures cited may vary due to different data collection years or calculation methodologies ^[2]
• Per capita income measurements have specific methodological considerations that affect their interpretation ^[3]
• There is a relationship between income levels and factors such as education and broader economic well-being ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question's simplicity might lead to misleading conclusions:

• It doesn't account for the significant variations in data collection methods and timing that can affect rankings ^[2]
• Raw income figures don't tell the complete story about economic well-being or standard of living
• Cost of living variations between states aren't reflected in these numbers
• Different sources provide varying figures, suggesting that a single definitive ranking might be misleading without proper context about the data's origin and calculation methods ^{[1] [2]}

Those who benefit from specific rankings might include:

• State governments using high rankings to attract businesses and residents
• Real estate developers and economic development agencies using income data for marketing purposes
• Educational institutions in high-ranking states using the correlation between education and income for recruitment