From its peak in 1999 through 2014, median income nationwide fell an average of 7.2 percent (in 2014 inflation-adjusted dollars) from $57,843 in 1999 to $53,657 in 2014. The states with the biggest drop in median income were concentrated in the Southeast and Midwest.
1. Mississippi - down 23.1 percent
2. Michigan - down 20.6 percent
3. Alabama - down 17.6 percent
4. Indiana - down 17.2 percent
5. Tennessee - down 15.8 percent
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The median income of the typical Tennessee household in 2014 was $43,716 (18.5 percent less than the U.S. average) while Alabama's median income was $42,278 (21.2 percent less than the U.S. average).