Missouri & Illinois Ranked Among the Least Rich States in America

I would argue that you can't completely define how rich a person or place is solely on money. But, if you're just looking at the bling, it's hard to argue the fact that Missouri and Illinois were both just ranked among the least rich states in America.

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What do you consider something that makes a person or place rich? I'd say that the natural beauty of a place should factor in, but when you're strictly looking at money data, it's not a happy story for Missouri or Illinois.

Homesnacks just used what they referred to as "the latest data on incomes, jobs, and poverty" to rank the states for "richness". Here's the map showing the results.

It's not all bad news for Missouri and Illinois. Neither state is last so that's at least some consolation. However, it's depressing to me to see Iowa ranked so much higher and that's not meant as a negative to my Iowa friends and family (who are surprisingly many). It's just the fact that we're all a part of the Midwestern region and it would be epic if all of our states could thrive.

The cynic in me could blame Arkansas for dragging Missouri down just by being on our border, but this is one case I can't blame on Razorbacks.

I'm also surprised to see Minnesota ranked as the 3rd richest state. Has anyone seen what winter is like up there? I realize that's not a financial factor, but all that snow should count for something. Right, Duluth?