Many people think that surrounding themselves with success willhelp it to rub off on them.
|But what about the opposite?
|If you're considering a move to a new location to start abusiness or pursue some other form of personal success, you mightwant to give these 10 states a miss.
|They're the ones GOBankingRates.com said are the leastsuccessful, based on its criteria.
|It checked the figures not only on how well states were run, butalso on how many successful (and not so successful) people lived ineach location.
|Then they ranked all 51 (including the District of of Columbia)based on average incomes of the 1% and the 99%; their povertyrates; how many people fell into upper, middle and lower classes ineach state; how many millionaires and billionaires they had; andthe ratio of millionaires to total households.
|Read on for a look at the 10 least successful states:
||
A third of Arizona's population falls into the lower-classdemographic. (Photo: iStock)
|10. Arizona
Average income of top 1%: $784,469.
|Average income of bottom 99%: $38,354.
|Number of millionaire households: 108,682.
|Ratio of millionaires to total households: 4.43%.
|Number of billionaires: 9.
|Population in upper class: 17%.
|Population in middle class: 51%.
|Population in lower class: 32%.
|Overall poverty rate: 18.2.
|What is it with the western states? Arizona's income inequalitybetween its top and bottom earners is greater here than anywhereelse but New Mexico, according to the Center on Budget and PolicyPriorities. Maybe that's ironically appropriate for the GrandCanyon State.
|And despite having more than 100,000 millionaire households, athird of the state's population is in the lower class.
|
The average income of the 99% in Tennessee is lower than inthe rest of the United States. (Photo: iStock)
|9. Tennessee
Average income of top 1%: $820,373.
|Average income of bottom 99%: $40,156.
|Number of millionaire households: 101,465.
|Ratio of millionaires to total households: 3.99%.
|Number of billionaires: 10.
|Population in upper class: 17%.
|Population in middle class: 51%.
|Population in lower class: 32%.
|Overall poverty rate:18.3.
|Not only does Tennessee have several self-made billionaires, italso has more millionaire households than half the states.
|However, those who haven't made it to the top of the pile aredown near the bottom. The average income of the 99% here is lowerthan in the majority of the states, nearly a third of Tennessee'spopulation is in the lower class, and the state's poverty rate isrelatively high. So much for success.
|
Louisiana has one billionaire. (Photo: iStock)
|8. Louisiana
Average income of top 1%: $859,619.
|Average income of bottom 99%: $41,600.
|Number of millionaire households: 79,681.
|Ratio of millionaires to total households: 4.49%.
|Number of billionaires: 1.
|Population in upper class: 19%.
|Population in middle class: 49%.
|Population in lower class: 32%.
|Overall poverty rate: 19.8.
|One billionaire: Count him, one. GOBankingRates citesForbes magazine as saying that Tom Benson worked his way up“from bookkeeper at a car dealership to the owner of severaldealerships, banks, and the New Orleans Saints and Pelicansfootball and basketball teams.”
|But the rest of the state's population? Not so successful. Whilethere's a “fair share” of millionaire households, the state's lowerclass is larger, proportionately, than most other states, and theaverage income of the 99% is relatively low, too.
|
South Carolina has one billionaire and more than 75,000millionaires. (Photo: iStock)
|7. South Carolina
Average income of top 1%: $668,739.
|Average income of bottom 99%: $36,950.
|Number of millionaire households: 76,831.
|Ratio of millionaires to total households: 4.15%.
|Number of billionaires: 1.
|Population in upper class: 17%.
|Population in middle class: 51%.
|Population in lower class: 31%.
|Overall poverty rate: 18.
|Forbes magazine says that the Palmetto State has onebillionaire and a “decent” number of millionaire households.
|But GOBankingRates found that it also has the sixth lowestaverage income for the 99% — that somewhat damages its credibilityas a “successful” state.
|
Alabama has more millionaires than any other state, but nobillionaires. (Photo: iStock)
|6. Alabama
Average income of top 1%: $665,097.
|Average income of bottom 99%: $38,854.
|Number of millionaire households: 80,138.
|Ratio of millionaires to total households: 4.20%.
|Number of billionaires: 0.
|Population in upper class: 18%.
|Population in middle class: 50%.
|Population in lower class: 32%.
|Overall poverty rate: 19.3.
|No billionaires here — and it's one of just 7 states to claimthat dubious distinction.
|And while it does have more millionaire households than severalother states, that's kind of canceled out by the large proportionof its population in the lower class.
|
The average income of Kentucky's 99% is among the lowest inthe United States (Photo: iStock)
|5. Kentucky
Average income of top 1%: $619,585.
|Average income of bottom 99%: $37,371.
|Number of millionaire households: 67,068.
|Ratio of millionaires to total households: 3.84%.
|Number of billionaires: 1.
|Population in upper class: 16%.
|Population in middle class: 52%.
|Population in lower class: 32%.
|Overall poverty rate: 19.1.
|Another state with a very small share of its population in theupper class — although it has one billionaire, according to Forbesmagazine: B. Wayne Hughes, founder of self-storage chain PublicStorage.
|And the state's 99%? Their average income is among the lowest inthe nation.
||
The 99% in Arkansas fare no better than many of the otherleast successful states. (Photo: iStock)
|4. Arkansas
Average income of top 1%: $750,101.
|Average income of bottom 99%: $36,421.
|Number of millionaire households: 43,588.
|Ratio of millionaires to total households: 3.73%.
|Number of billionaires: 5.
|Population in upper class: 15%.
|Population in middle class: 52%.
|Population in lower class: 33%.
|Overall poverty rate: 18.9.
|Don't get your hopes up on being successful just because theWaltons, the family that owns Wal-Mart Inc., come from here. Infact, the average income of the 99% is one of the lowest in thecountry.
|Its substantial lower class population is also a handicap to thestate going any higher in the “successful rankings” than fourthfrom the bottom.
|
West Virginia's one-percenters makes the least compared toone-percenters across the United States. (Photo: iStock)
|3. West Virginia
Average income of top 1%: $488,634.
|Average income of bottom 99%: $34,407.
|Number of millionaire households: 29,367.
|Ratio of millionaires to total households: 3.82%.
|Number of billionaires: 1.
|Population in upper class: 14%.
|Population in middle class: 53%.
|Population in lower class: 33%.
|Overall poverty rate: 18.3.
|Even if you're a one-percenter in West Virginia, you're notdoing all that well compared to the one-percenters elsewhere — it'sthe only state where that group's average income is under$500,000.
|And the share of its population that's in the upper class issmaller than every other state but Mississippi and Idaho.
|
The poverty rate in New Mexico is the second highest in theUnited States. (Photo: iStock)
|2. New Mexico
Average income of top 1%: $593,739.
|Average income of bottom 99%: $37,995.
|Number of millionaire households: 37,957.
|Ratio of millionaires to total households: 4.65%.
|Number of billionaires: 0.
|Population in upper class: 15%.
|Population in middle class: 50%.
|Population in lower class: 35%.
|Overall poverty rate: 21.3.
|You've heard, of course, about the gap between the top incomelevels and the bottom? Well, in New Mexico that gap is thegreatest, according to a 2012 Center on Budget and PolicyPriorities report.
|The poverty rate in New Mexico is also the second highest in thecountry, and getting out of debt is the largest cause of financialstress in the so-called Land of Enchantment. Sounds as if almostthe whole state needs a fairy godmother.
|
The 99% in Mississippi have the lowest average income inAmerica. (Photo: iStock)
|1. Mississippi
Average income of top 1%: $565,813.
|Average income of bottom 99%: $33,383.
|Number of millionaire households: 40,955.
|Ratio of millionaires to total households: 3.63%.
|Number of billionaires: 0.
|Population in upper class: 14%.
|Population in middle class: 49%.
|Population in lower class: 36%.
|Overall poverty rate: 21.5.
|Although Mississippi has more millionaire households than 16other states, that's not all that makes a state successful.Mississippi, sadly, has the smallest ratio of millionaires to therest of its population — and the state's top 1% have lower averageincomes than those of the top 1 percent in most of those other 16states.
|It also has the largest percentage of its population in thelower class than any other state. If that's not bad enough, its 99%have the lowest average income in the country.
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