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This is the salary it takes to be a top 1 percent earner in Texas

Wealth, top 1 percent earners in Texas, income threshold

More than 128,000 Texans are considered among the top one percent of earners in the state.

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

To be one of the highest earners in Texas has become a little easier in 2025: According to a new financial analysis from SmartAsset, Texans have to make $743,955 to qualify as a top 1 percent earner in the state.

If that sounds like a lot, it's still $18,000 less than 2024, when you had to pull in $762,090 a year.

To determine the income needed to be in the top 1 percent of earners, SmartAsset analyzed 2022 IRS data for individual tax filers (the most recent year where data was available), and income was adjusted to May 2025 dollars.

The national average income it takes to be considered a part of this exclusive group comes out to $731,492. The income needed to be in the top 1 percent decreased in nearly every state except for North Dakota, Florida, and Oklahoma.

Connecticut leads the nation with the highest income threshold needed to be in the top 1 percent, with residents needing to make nearly $1.06 million annually to qualify. Connecticut is the only state where residents need to make $1 million to be considered a top 1 percent earner. Only 16,917 Connecticuters currently fit the bill for the designation.

A total of 128,130 Texans currently make enough money to be considered one of the highest earners statewide. That's 2,002 more people than in 2024. Though the report doesn't provide information as to where these top earners live, it's entirely possible some are living in Dallas-Fort Worth. After all, the metro's population has now surpassed 8.44 million residents.

For aspiring Texans who want to make it among the top 5 percent of earners in the state, they would have to make $284,661 a year to qualify. There are 640,648 Texans who currently make enough money to be considered top 5 percent earners, the report said.

"Nearly 1.5 million households across the United States now rank among the top 1 percent of earners, according to the latest tax return data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)," the report said. "Economic conditions, tax policies and cost of living vary significantly from state to state, resulting in wide disparities between what it takes to become a top 1 percent earner across the nation."

For Dallasites who want to make enough money to be considered "middle class," the yearly salary ranges between $49,478 and $71,359, according to a separate 2025 SmartAsset report.

The top 10 states with the highest thresholds to be considered in the top 1 percent of earners in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – Connecticut ($1,056,996)
No. 2 – Massachusetts ($965,170)
No. 3 – California ($905,396)
No. 4– New Jersey ($901,082)
No. 5 – New York ($891,640)
No. 6 – Florida ($859,381)
No. 7 – Washington ($819,101)
No. 8 – Colorado ($772,989)
No. 9 – Wyoming ($771,369)
No. 10 – Texas ($743,955)

texas income salaries smartasset reports wealthiest people

Pestilence News

New invasive pest in Texas is destroying grasses and pasture

TAMU

Mealyworm is small but damaging.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has issued an urgent alert to farmers to inspect their pastures for a newly detected and highly damaging pest: the pasture mealybug (Helicococcus summervillei).

According to a release from the Department of Agriculture (TDA), this invasive species, never before reported in North America, has been confirmed in multiple Texas counties and is already causing significant damage to pasture acreage across the southeast portion of the state.

The pasture mealybug causes “pasture dieback,” leaving expanding patches of yellowing, weakened, and ultimately dead turf.

This pest was first detected in Australia in 1928; its first detection in the Western Hemisphere occurred in the Caribbean between 2019 and 2020.

The TDA is working with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to coordinate a rapid response and protect Texas producers.

Mealybug history
Although the mealybug is just now being spotted, researchers suspect it may have been introduced before 2022.

Since mid-April 2025, southern Texas pasture and hay producers have been reporting problems in their fields. These fields show grass patches becoming brown or necrotic, or patches that are completely dead. Originally, it was presumed that symptoms were caused by another mealybug called the Rhodes grass mealybug, which has been reported in the U.S. since 1942. However, further investigations confirm that it's this new pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei).

It has devastated millions of acres of grazing land in Australia and has since spread globally. Its rapid reproduction, hidden soil-level feeding, and broad host range make it a significant threat to pasture health and livestock operations.

MealybugTAMU

Adult females are approximately 2-5 mm long, covered in a white, waxy coating. They are capable of producing nearly 100 offspring within 24 hours, resulting in several generations per season. While adult females can live for up to 100 days, most damage is inflicted by the youngest nymphs, which feed on plant sap and inject toxic saliva that causes grass to yellow, weaken, and die.

“This is a completely new pest to our continent, and Texas is once again on the front lines,” Commissioner Miller says. “If the pasture mealybug spreads across Texas grazing lands like it has in eastern Australia, it could cost Texas agriculture dearly in lost productivity and reduced livestock capacity. TDA is working hand-in-hand with federal and university partners to respond swiftly and protect our producers from this unprecedented threat.”

Houston has a problem
The estimated impact area currently covers 20 counties, primarily in the Houston area, including: Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, Refugio, Calhoun, Victoria, Goliad, Dewitt, Lavaca, Fayette, Jackson, Matagorda, Brazoria, Galveston, Wharton, Colorado, Austin, Washington, Burleson, Brazos, and Robertson. AgriLife entomologists have submitted a formal Pest Incident Worksheet documenting significant damage to pastures and hayfields in Victoria County.

Research trials are underway to determine the best integrated pest management options. Currently, there is no known effective labeled insecticide for pasture mealybug.

Affected plants include: Bermudagrass, Bahia grass, Johnsongrass, hay grazer (sorghum–sudangrass), St. Augustine grass, various bluestem species, and other tropical or subtropical grasses. Damage can occur in leaves, stems, and roots.

Symptoms:

Yellowing and discoloration of leaves within a week of infestation
Purpling or reddening of foliage
Stunted growth and drought stress despite rainfall
Poorly developed root systems
Dieback starting at leaf tips and progressing downward
Premature aging, making plants more vulnerable to pathogens

How to spot it

Scout regularly for mealybugs on grass leaves, stems, soil surface, leaf litter, and under cow patties
Focus on unmanaged areas such as fence lines, ungrazed patches, and roadsides
Look for fluffy, white, waxy, or “fuzzy” insects on blades and stems
If plants appear unhealthy and insects match this description, investigate further

“Early identification is critical, and we need every producer’s eyes on the ground,” Commissioner Miller added. “We are working diligently with our federal and state partners to determine how to best combat this novel threat and stop it in its tracks.”

If you observe suspicious symptoms or insects matching the descriptions above, contact TDA at 1-800-TELL-TDA immediately.

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