Income in Utah

Claims

"Utah ranks 48th out of 50 states with per capita income of $10,743 in 1986."
- Frederick C. Kubicek, The Mormon Doctrine - Is It Christian?, Unlimited Glory Ministries

"[T]he statistics show the individual Utah wage earner pulls in between 10 and 15 percent less than the national average."
- Latter-day Saints Are People, Too: Is Mormonism in Utah really working?, The Watchman Expositor 7(4)

"Utah ranks 47th in the 50 states and takes near last place in wages paid to a worker."
- Wayne and Dianne Simister, Things About Utah That the Travel Bureau Prefers You Don't Know, Utah Information & Family Pages

"Wages in Utah are already among the lowest...of all the United States."
- Wayne and Dianne Simister, The Bad in Becoming a Mormon, Utah Information & Family Pages

"[M]any Utahans make significantly less than the average U.S. income...."
- Waana, Reasons Why The Mormon Church Is Not True, posted on Recovery from Mormonism, 5/18/02

Is Utah's per capita income the third lowest in the nation?

Utah ranked third lowest in per capita income in 1992, and although it has ranked in the bottom ten states every year since 1981, 1992 was the only time Utah ranked so low since at least 1929.

Table 1 shows how Utah's per capita income compares to the rest of the states. A rank of 1 indicates the highest income. Figures have not been adjusted for inflation.

Table 1. Per capita income for the United States and Utah, and Utah's rank, 1992-2001.
Year High Average Low Utah Rank
1992 28,446 CT 20,979 14,644 MS 16,234 48
1993 29,309 CT 21,557 15,363 MS 16,844 47
1994 30,130 CT 22,358 16,398 MS 17,651 46
1995 31,423 CT 23,272 16,990 MS 18,514 46
1996 32,814 CT 24,286 17,799 MS 19,519 45
1997 34,803 CT 25,427 18,588 MS 20,618 43
1998 37,190 CT 26,909 19,674 MS 21,624 44
1999 38,506 CT 27,859 20,180 MS 22,335 44
2000 40,870 CT 29,451 20,856 MS 23,364 44
2001 42,435 CT 30,472 21,750 MS 24,180 45

The following map shows how per capita income varies across the country.

Figure 1. State per capita income, 2001 preliminary

Do Utahns earn 10-15% less than the national average?

Figure 2 shows the average pay for Utah and the United States. Figures have not been adjusted for inflation. Utahns have consistently earned about 15% less than the national average.

Figure 2. Average annual pay, 1992-1999

How does Utah's pay compare to the rest of the states?

Table 2 shows how Utah's average pay compares to the rest of the states. A rank of 1 indicates the highest pay. Utah ranks about eleven places higher using this measure over per capita income.

Table 2. Average annual pay for the United States and Utah, and Utah's rank, 1992-1999.
Year High Average Low Utah Rank
1992 32,603 CT 25,897 18,016 SD 21,976 36
1993 33,169 CT 26,361 18,613 SD 22,250 36
1994 33,811 CT 26,939 19,255 SD 22,811 36
1995 35,127 CT 27,846 19,931 SD 23,626 34
1996 36,816 NY 28,946 20,724 SD 24,572 33
1997 38,941 CT 30,353 21,648 SD 25,736 33
1998 40,895 CT 31,945 22,648 MT 26,873 33
1999* 42,653 CT 33,313 23,253 MT 27,884 32
* Data is not available for New Jersey in 1999.

The following map shows how annual pay varies across the country.

Figure 3. State average annual income, 1999

Household income

But if we measure household income, Utah does better than the national average, even ranking in the top ten in 1997 and 1998. Figure 4 shows the median household income for Utah and the United States. Figures are in 1999 dollars.

Figure 4. Median household income, 1984-1999

How does Utah's household income compare to the rest of the states?

Table 3 shows how Utah's household income compares to the rest of the states. A rank of 1 indicates the highest income.

Table 3. Median household income for the United States and Utah, and Utah's rank, 1990-1999.
Year High Average Low Utah Rank
1990 52,013 NH 38,168 25,720 MS 38,421 20
1991 51,563 CT 36,850 23,822 MS 34,269 29
1992 50,008 HI 36,379 24,071 WV 40,672 11
1993 49,497 AK 36,019 25,585 MS 41,259 11
1994 51,000 AK 36,270 26,490 WV 40,151 12
1995 52,422 AK 37,251 27,198 WV 39,879 13
1996 56,042 AK 37,686 26,637 NM 39,328 17
1997 49,846 NJ 38,411 27,156 AR 44,401 9
1998 51,812 AK 39,744 27,294 WV 45,277 9
1999 52,310 MD 40,816 29,433 WV 46,094 11

The following map shows how household income varies across the country.

Figure 5. State median household income, 1999

Sources

Per capita income data is from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Annual pay figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1995-2000 and 2001. Section 13 (1995-2000) or 12 (2001), table entitled "Average Annual Pay by State".

Household income data is also from the Statistical Abstract. Section 12 or 13, table entitled "Money Income of Households--Median Income by State in Constant Dollars".

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