We analyzed income data from the U.S. Census Bureau and found that people with disabilities tend to earn less at the national level and in every state than Americans who did not report a disability — sometimes tens of thousands of dollars less per year.
The state with the highest median income for people with a disability was Washington, D.C, at $3,743 a month. It was lowest in Vermont, at just $1,984 a month.
If you’re disabled, you may qualify for benefits from a disability insurance policy or the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs — you may even get benefits from both programs.
Methodology: Where these numbers come from
We analyzed data from the 2022 American Community Survey, which is a yearly survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Our data comes from the ACS’s 5-year estimates.
State-by-state income for people with a disability
The states with the highest median income for people with disabilities are Washington, D.C. ($44,920 a year), Hawaii ($37,779), Maryland ($37,396); the median income for residents with disabilities is lowest in Montana ($24,677), Idaho ($24,448), and Vermont ($23,809).
Median income for residents with a disability | |
|---|---|
Washington, D.C. | $44,920 |
Hawaii | $37,779 |
Maryland | $37,396 |
Washington | $35,130 |
Alaska | $34,190 |
New Jersey | $34,161 |
Virginia | $33,221 |
Nevada | $32,991 |
Colorado | $32,400 |
California | $31,838 |
Massachusetts | $31,582 |
New York | $31,488 |
North Dakota | $30,625 |
Texas | $30,480 |
Arizona | $30,400 |
New Hampshire | $30,080 |
Georgia | $30,043 |
Illinois | $29,723 |
Rhode Island | $29,656 |
Connecticut | $29,645 |
Delaware | $29,511 |
Oklahoma | $29,149 |
Tennessee | $28,975 |
Utah | $28,818 |
Florida | $28,711 |
Nebraska | $28,683 |
South Carolina | $28,655 |
North Carolina | $28,284 |
Wyoming | $28,190 |
Indiana | $27,847 |
Pennsylvania | $27,743 |
Alabama | $27,689 |
Oregon | $27,654 |
Missouri | $27,588 |
Kansas | $27,484 |
Louisiana | $27,339 |
Minnesota | $27,124 |
West Virginia | $26,955 |
Wisconsin | $26,910 |
Maine | $26,734 |
Arkansas | $26,726 |
Ohio | $26,266 |
Kentucky | $26,099 |
Iowa | $25,878 |
South Dakota | $25,674 |
Mississippi | $25,649 |
Michigan | $25,398 |
New Mexico | $25,032 |
Montana | $24,677 |
Idaho | $24,448 |
Vermont | $23,809 |
Source: Policygenius analysis of the 2022 American Community Survey
About 29% of Americans with disabilities are in the labor force. The state with the highest percentage of the population with disabilities in the labor force is Utah (38.3% participation).
What’s the national median income for people with a disability?
The median income of people with disabilities in the U.S. is $29,382. That’s $13,931 less per year than the median income for people without disabilities.
The rate of poverty among Americans who are disabled is also much higher than for people who did not report a disability.
Median income | Below the poverty line | |
|---|---|---|
With a disability | $29,382 | 19.8% |
Without a disability | $43,313 | 10% |
Source: Policygenius analysis of the 2022 American Community Survey
Read more about how the cost of disability insurance changes with income
What percent of people with disabilities live in poverty by state?
The rate of people with disabilities living below the poverty line tends to be much higher than for Americans without disabilities. Thirty-one percent of people with disabilities living in Washington, D.C. are living under the poverty level, the most of any state (in 2024 the poverty level means an income at or below $15,060 per year for individuals). [1]
Percent of people with disabilities below the poverty level | |
|---|---|
Alabama | 21.8% |
Alaska | 17.2% |
Arizona | 18.0% |
Arkansas | 22.7% |
California | 19.0% |
Colorado | 16.3% |
Connecticut | 18.5% |
Delaware | 15.8% |
Washington, D.C | 31.0% |
Florida | 18.3% |
Georgia | 19.4% |
Hawaii | 15.0% |
Idaho | 17.0% |
Illinois | 19.5% |
Indiana | 19.4% |
Iowa | 18.8% |
Kansas | 19.1% |
Kentucky | 24.9% |
Louisiana | 24.3% |
Maine | 21.2% |
Maryland | 17.3% |
Massachusetts | 20.7% |
Michigan | 20.6% |
Minnesota | 19.1% |
Mississippi | 24.6% |
Missouri | 21.4% |
Montana | 18.9% |
Nebraska | 17.9% |
Nevada | 17.9% |
New Hampshire | 16.1% |
New Jersey | 16.7% |
New Mexico | 23.8% |
New York | 23.7% |
North Carolina | 19.9% |
North Dakota | 19.2% |
Ohio | 21.7% |
Oklahoma | 20.0% |
Oregon | 20.6% |
Pennsylvania | 20.4% |
Rhode Island | 21.2% |
South Carolina | 20.2% |
South Dakota | 19.8% |
Tennessee | 21.2% |
Texas | 19.2% |
Utah | 14.5% |
Vermont | 19.8% |
Virginia | 16.8% |
Washington | 17.6% |
West Virginia | 23.3% |
Wisconsin | 18.3% |
Wyoming | 15.6% |
Puerto Rico | 46.8% |
Source: Policygenius analysis of the 2022 American Community Survey
