- Income inequality in America has increased in every state since the 1970s, a 2018 report published by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found.
- In the resort town of Jackson, Wyoming, the most unequal metro area in America, the richest 1% make 132 times more, on average, than the bottom 99%.
- The New York City-Newark-Jersey City metro area ranks 13th on the list.
- Six of the 13 most unequal metro areas are in Florida.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Income inequality in America has been rising in every US state since the 1970s, found a 2018 report published by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).
In the report, researchers looked at 2015 tax return data to analyze the average income of the top 1% and the bottom 99% of a population, broken down by state, metropolitan area, and county.
As compared to the commonly used Gini coefficient measure of inequality, EPI's measure captures very high incomes better because, as the report notes, "it represents all the taxable income people earn in market transactions, such as the income earned from working for a wage or salary at a job, through interest on a savings account, or from selling a financial asset for more than its purchase cost (a capital gain)."
The report found that the most unequal metro area in America is the resort town of Jackson, Wyoming, where the average income of the top 1% is more than $16.1 million, and the average income of the bottom 99% is $122,447.
Below, Business Insider has ranked the 13 most unequal metro areas in the US, based on the EPI report, including the average income of the top 1%, the average income of the bottom 99%, and the top-to-bottom ratio.
Here are the most unequal places in America.
Andy Kiersz contributed to reporting.
13. New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania
Average income of the top 1%: $2,425,384
Average income of the bottom 99%:$61,550
Top-to-bottom ratio: 39.4
12. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida
Average income of the top 1%:$1,810,660
Average income of the bottom 99%:$42,021
Top-to-bottom ratio: 43.1
11. Summit Park, Utah
Average income of the top 1%:$4,784,667
Average income of the bottom 99%:$110,003
Top-to-bottom ratio: 43.5
10. Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada
Average income of the top 1%:$2,272,387
Average income of the bottom 99%:$51,276
Top-to-bottom ratio: 44.3
9. Hailey, Idaho
Average income of the top 1%: $3,115,982
Average income of the bottom 99%:$69,399
Top-to-bottom ratio: 44.9
8. Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Average income of the top 1%: $2,968,276
Average income of the bottom 99%: $66,015
Top-to-bottom ratio: 45.0
7. Port St. Lucie, Florida
Average income of the top 1%: $1,737,118
Average income of the bottom 99%: $38,212
Top-to-bottom ratio: 45.5
6. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida
Average income of the top 1%: $2,345,381
Average income of the bottom 99%: $42,319
Top-to-bottom ratio: 55.4
5. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut
Average income of the top 1%: $6,290,951
Average income of the bottom 99%: $101,213
Top-to-bottom ratio: 62.2
4. Sebastian-Vero Beach, Florida
Average income of the top 1%: $2,921,375
Average income of the bottom 99%: $2,921,375
Top-to-bottom ratio: 67.2
3. Key West, Florida
Average income of the top 1%: $4,741,192
Average income of the bottom 99%: $58,295
Top-to-bottom ratio: 81.3
2. Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida
Average income of the top 1%: $5,590,120
Average income of the bottom 99%: $62,053
Top-to-bottom ratio: 90.1
1. Jackson, Wyoming-Idaho
Average income of the top 1%: $16,161,955
Average income of the bottom 99%: $122,447
Top-to-bottom ratio: 132.0