Best and Worst States to Make A Living 2012 – Complete List

For the second year in a row, MoneyRates has crunched data on income, cost of living, taxes, and unemployment to make its lists of the Best and Worst States to Make a Living.

These rankings are determined by an adjusted average income figure for each state, a number that factors together the four variables above to determine each state’s relative standing for career-related conditions.

For more info on the best and worst states on the list, please see the 2012 Best States to Make Living and Worst States to Make a Living lists.

Here are the rankings of all 50 states, complete with each state’s adjusted average income figure:

1. Virginia $43,677

2. Washington $43,662

3. Texas $42,816

4. Illinois $41,865

5. Colorado $40,490

6. Michigan $40,421

7. Wyoming $39,745

8. Utah $39,250

9. Delaware $38,802

10. Massachusetts $38,793

11. Tennessee $38,700

12. Minnesota $38,571

13. Ohio $38,364

14. Georgia $37,930

15. Pennsylvania $37,858

16. Indiana $37,181

17. Florida $37,145

18. Nevada $37,078

19. Kansas $37,008

20. Missouri $36,919

21. Nebraska $36,882

22. Wisconsin $36,588

23. Maryland $36,416

24. Arizona $36,314

25. Oklahoma $36,251

26. Alabama $36,205

27. New Mexico $35,813

28. Louisiana $35,727

29. North Dakota $35,642

30. Kentucky $35,520

31. Idaho $35,192

32. New Hampshire $35,173

33. North Carolina $35,064

34. Alaska $34,914

35. Iowa $34,845

36. New York $34,074

37. Connecticut $34,017

38. Oregon $33,788

39. Arkansas $33,763

40. New Jersey $33,623

41. South Dakota $33,121

42. South Carolina $32,645

43. West Virginia $32,297

44. California $31,459

45. Rhode Island $31,353

46. Montana $31,256

47. Mississippi $31,178

48. Vermont $30,433

49. Maine $29,703

50. Hawaii $22,394

To see how the states have shifted in the last year, see the 2011 50-state rankings.