The geographic redistribution of income in the United States, 1970–2010: the role of the super-wealthy

Since 1970, households in elite percentiles of the national income distribution have received an increasing share of national income. Simultaneously, several high-income states have expanded their shares of national income. This article investigates the relationship between the increasing concentration of income among the wealthiest households, the increasing geographic concentration of the wealthiest households, and relative changes in state per capita income. An increasing share of the super-rich accounts for much of the difference in income growth between the richest northeastern states and the rest of the country. Several other states with fast-growing income levels, however, experienced more balanced growth.