Map Shows Household Income by Region

Americans are continuing to feel the strain of economic uncertainty in their daily lives as inflation and financial uncertainty linger. From housing prices to grocery bills, wages are struggling to keep up.

A survey by Talker Research, conducted on behalf of Newsweek, has revealed the differences in household income across different U.S. regions, exposing geographical economic divides.

The survey questioned 1,000 employed U.S. workers and found that 36 percent of American households earn less than $50,000 annually.

The highest concentration of these households is in the Southeast (41 percent) and the lowest in the West (21 percent). The $50,000 to $75,000 bracket, meanwhile, represents a quarter of households—with little variation among regions.

Households earning between $75,000 and $100,000 make up 14 percent of the total, with the West (21 percent) and the Midwest (17 percent) leading in this income range. In contrast, the Northeast has the smallest share in this category (10 percent).

For higher income brackets, the disparities become more pronounced. Only 4 percent of households nationwide earn over $200,000, with the highest concentration in the West (6 percent) and Northeast (5 percent). The Midwest and Southeast report the lowest numbers in this category, with just 3 percent of households exceeding this income level.

Expert Reacts

The average income for each region varies greatly, with the West leading the way with an average household income of $88,283, followed by the Northeast at $76,443. The Midwest and Southwest show similar averages at $69,969 and $69,516, respectively, while the Southeast lags behind at $67,583.

Chad Gammon, a CFP® professional and the owner of Custom Fit Financial, told Newsweek: "It is not uncommon to see different wages for different regions in the United States. Some of this can be attributed to the demand of living in a certain area, such as New York City, Boston, Seattle or San Francisco. This leads to higher living costs and wages increase in those areas to offset."

As well as high demand of living, Gammon explained that there are also higher living costs and wages depending on industries in the region. "High tech areas such as the Silicon Valley or financial hubs such as the Northeast region have higher wages than the Midwest where the industries are more agricultural and manufacturing," he explained.

Poll results found that the national average income is $73,080, a number that Gammon said was likely on the low end for the majority of Americans. "The average living wages are probably on the low side and should be adjusted for inflation. It is getting harder for lower and middle income workers to get ahead," he said.