Residents of Low-Wage Red States Collect Biggest Stimulus Checks
- Average payments in Idaho, Utah and South Dakota top $1,800
- Cash influx in Mississippi, West Virginia exceed 1.7% of GDP
This article is for subscribers only.
Residents of lower-income states that voted for President Donald Trump got bigger stimulus checks in general than those in wealthier coastal enclaves that tend to back Democrats, according to data from the Internal Revenue Service.
The demographics of such red states as Utah, Idaho and South Dakota helped residents collect average stimulus payments topping $1,800. Relatively lower wages in these states mean more adults were likely to qualify for the full $1,200 payment, which starts to phase out at $75,000 in individual income. And the additional $500 per child bolstered the typical check size in Utah and Idaho, where the average family has more than two children.