(The Center Square) – The United States is in a period of historic inflation. The consumer price index rose by 8.5% over the 12 months ending in March 2022, the fastest increase in over four decades. Though it is not keeping pace with inflation, income is also on the rise in the United States.

Personal income per capita in the United States increased by 7% in 2021, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Based on the latest population data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and annual income data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, per capita income in the United States is $64,478.

It is important to note that income per capita includes not only wages and salaries, but also Social Security and other government benefits, dividends and interest, profits from business ownership, and other sources.

In Rhode Island, per capita income stands at $64,156, slightly lower than the national figure and the 18th highest among states.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers with a bachelor’s degree earn about 65% more each week than those with no education beyond high school. Perhaps not surprisingly, states with higher than average income often also have better-educated populations, but Rhode Island is a notable exception. An estimated 35.0% of the state’s 25 and older population have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 32.9% of all Americans in the same age group.

Rank	State	Per capita income in 2021 ($)	Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (%)
1	Massachusetts	$83,815	44.5
2	Connecticut	$82,888	40.0
3	New Jersey	$78,018	40.7
4	New York	$77,672	37.5
5	California	$76,176	34.7
6	Washington	$74,054	36.7
7	New Hampshire	$73,796	37.6
8	Maryland	$70,729	40.9
9	Colorado	$70,559	41.6
10	Illinois	$66,860	35.5
11	North Dakota	$66,798	30.7
12	Alaska	$66,745	30.0
13	Minnesota	$66,740	36.8
14	Virginia	$66,430	39.5
15	South Dakota	$65,901	29.3
16	Wyoming	$65,340	28.2
17	Pennsylvania	$64,901	32.3
18	Rhode Island	$64,156	35.0
19	Nebraska	$63,381	32.5
20	Florida	$62,376	30.5
21	Vermont	$61,734	39.7
22	Oregon	$61,691	34.4
23	Texas	$61,534	30.7
24	Hawaii	$61,302	33.6
25	Delaware	$61,179	32.7
26	Nevada	$60,418	25.5
27	Kansas	$59,771	33.9
28	Wisconsin	$59,461	30.8
29	Montana	$58,944	33.1
30	Utah	$58,674	34.7
31	Maine	$58,499	32.5
32	Iowa	$57,752	29.3
33	Indiana	$57,068	27.2
34	Ohio	$56,990	28.9
35	Georgia	$56,777	32.2
36	Tennessee	$56,517	28.2
37	Michigan	$55,979	30.0
38	North Carolina	$55,917	32.0
39	Idaho	$55,671	28.7
40	Missouri	$55,556	29.9
41	Arizona	$55,075	30.3
42	Louisiana	$53,962	24.9
43	Oklahoma	$53,658	26.1
44	South Carolina	$53,088	29.0
45	Arkansas	$51,386	23.8
46	Kentucky	$51,238	25.0
47	Alabama	$50,065	26.2
48	New Mexico	$49,764	28.1
49	West Virginia	$47,170	21.3
50	Mississippi	$44,952	22.8