The median income in the US is about $83,000, but some states clear that number by a lot.
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WalletHub ranked states where people have the highest income, using several different measurements.
Some states with mega-high earners didn't rank high due their fairly average median incomes.
California landed outside of the top 10 as many high earners are leaving the state.
The median income in the US is about $83,000 — and you could make more or less than that number depending on where you live. But which states are the highest earning overall?
A new WalletHub study used three income-related measures to rank states: the average annual income of the top 5%, the average annual income of the bottom 20%, and the median annual household income of the state's entire population.
The resulting rankings include some surprises. None of the states known for being home to billionaires, like New York, California, and Florida, took the top spot.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said New York's income disparity is a reason it came up just short of the No. 1 ranking. While the top 5% makes a lot, the state's middle class isn't making nearly as much.
"In terms of just the median annual income, which I think is what most people are interested in as far as that's a reflection of the middle class, New York is a little above average in terms of its median annual income at $96,000," Lupo told Business Insider.
One state that barely cracked the top 15 is California; a state known for movie stars and moguls. Lupo posited that the Golden State's lower ranking on the list may have been impacted by several top earners leaving.
Louisiana is third among states with the highest increase in delinquent mortgages.
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WalletHub ranked US states based on mortgage delinquency.
Its list shows which states had the biggest increases in delinquent mortgages between 2025 and 2026.
Vermont and Delaware had the highest increases, the analysis found.
In recent years, the economy hasn't been kind to homeowners and those looking to buy.
Many potential buyers simply can't afford to buy a home, with the average 30-year mortgage rate over 6%. For the people who bite the bullet on a home loan, other costs are waiting. From property taxes and insurance to repair costs, Americans — some of whom face more challenging job markets — are paying more in home expenses than a simple monthly mortgage payment.
Whatever the reasons, some homeowners are failing to pay their mortgage payments on time. When a payment is at least 30 days late, it's reported to the credit bureaus as delinquent.
A WalletHub study released this month ranked the 50 US states by where delinquent mortgages increased the most from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026.
It identified each state's share of the average number of delinquent loans in the first quarter of 2026 — that is, the state's mortgage delinquency rate — and calculated how much the number of delinquent mortgages changed from the previous quarter. The study used data collected in April from WalletHub's own database.
Some states saw decreases in delinquent mortgages from the end of 2025 to the beginning of 2026, with Wyoming the only state to record a double-digit decrease, at 14.41%. Nebraska and Mississippi followed, with decreases of 7.88% and 4.27%, respectively.
Most states weren't as lucky, however, and reported increases in delinquent mortgages.
See the 20 states with the highest mortgage delinquency increases, per WalletHub's study.
20. South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina.
Grindstone Media Group/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 10.38%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 1.63%
19. Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska.
Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 6.00%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 1.94%
18. Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 10.85%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.04%
17. Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada.
Old Town Tourist/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 5.81%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.07%
16. Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee.
James Andrews1/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 9.21%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.08%
15. Oregon
Portland, Oregon.
Grindstone Media Group/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 4.95%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.09%
14. Illinois
Chicago, Illinois.
Nejdet Duzen/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 6.97%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.37%
13. California
Sacramento, California.
NorthSky Films/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 4.81%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.53%
12. Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island.
Veroniksha/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 7.34%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.55%
11. North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina.
f11photo/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 8.57%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.70%
10. Idaho
Boise, Idaho.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 6.12%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.83%
9. Texas
Dallas, Texas.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 9.44%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.97%
8. Colorado
Denver, Colorado.
f11photo/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 5.02%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 3.29%
7. New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire.
Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 6.25%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 3.30%
6. Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut.
FilmRAW/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 8.00%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 3.38%
5. Montana
Billings, Montana.
JWCohen/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 5.33%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 3.71%
4. Florida
Orlando Florida.
ByDroneVideos/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 7.05%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 3.87%
3. Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 14.33%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 4.40%
2. Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware.
JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 8.35%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 6.92%
1. Vermont
Burlington, Vermont.
Frame Craft 8/Shutterstock
Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 5.81%
Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 12.32%
The Salvador Dalí art museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, is one of America's coolest buildings.
: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The US has diverse architecture across its 50 states.
History, art, and local aesthetics are all reflected in some of America's coolest buildings.
From prehistoric dwellings to kitschy designs, these buildings make for unique attractions.
Throughout its nearly 250-year history, the United States has produced some striking and unique architecture.
From preserving local history to showcasing each region's unique cultural quirks, these 51 buildings across the US are worthy destinations for your next travel list.
Defining what we consider to be the "coolest" is hard. We evaluated every state on its own terms and found that the architecture across all 50 states and Washington, DC, can be as diverse as the country's population.
In states like California and Massachusetts, it meant picking buildings that look futuristic and elegant, like something out of a science-fiction movie.
In other states, like Maine and the Carolinas, we found that the coolest buildings are distinctive because of their place in history or the state's culture.
Whether you're looking for a piece of history or a glimpse into the future, these buildings can show you what different worlds look like.
James Grebey and Jacob Shamsian contributed to an earlier version of this story.
ALABAMA: Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Passenger Terminal
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The Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Passenger Terminal in Mobile, Alabama, which has Spanish influences with its cream walls and red clay tiles, was designed by P. Thornton Marye. It was completed in 1907 and has undergone restoration since passenger train service ceased in the 1950s.
ALASKA: The University of Alaska's Museum of the North
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The University of Alaska Museum of the North is home to numerous exhibits showcasing the native cultures, natural wonders, and wildlife of our nation's largest state. It's also a stylish refuge from the cold.
ARIZONA: Chapel of the Holy Cross
Angel DiBilio/Shutterstock
The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona was completed in 1956, and it juts majestically from a red stone butte, some 200 feet above the ground.
ARKANSAS: Thorncrown Chapel
barrywright/Shutterstock
The beautiful Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs looks like an open-air structure, but it's actually a serene, glass-enclosed architectural marvel.
CALIFORNIA: The Chemosphere
FG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
It was designed in 1960, but the Chemosphere still looks futuristic. It's a house with 2,200 square feet of space, perched atop a 30-foot concrete pole. And it's survived every major Californian earthquake in the San Fernando Valley since it was built.
COLORADO: Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park
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Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, features some of the best-preserved prehistoric landscapes of the Ancestral Puebloan people. These ancient dwellings, where the Ancestral Puebloans once lived, were constructed on the sides of natural cliffs.
While most dwellings had only one to five rooms, the Cliff Palace, the largest known cliff dwelling in North America, had 150 rooms, 23 sacred meeting spaces, and housed about 100 people, according to the National Park Service.
CONNECTICUT: Grace Farms
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The main feature of Grace Farms in New Canaan is a serpentine wooden pavilion that links glass-walled rooms, including a library, stage, tea room, and a gym with a full basketball court. Completed in 2015, it's open to the public for free.
DELAWARE: Wilmington's Grand Opera House
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The country's oldest state has some classic buildings that stand the test of time. Wilmington's Grand Opera House, built in 1871, is as classic as it gets.
FLORIDA: The Salvador Dalí Museum
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The Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg is a fittingly unique tribute to the beloved master of surrealism. The museum boasts the largest collection of Dalí's work outside Europe.
GEORGIA: The Earth Lodge on Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
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This might not look much like other buildings in this list, but the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park's Earth Lodge dates back to the year 1015, per the National Park Service.
The lodge is a reconstructed council chamber of the native Mississippian culture. While the walls and ceiling were reconstructed in the late 1930s, the clay floor remains the same as the original, dating back over a thousand years.
HAWAII: ʻIolani Palace
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ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu is the only royal palace on United States soil. David Kalākaua, the last reigning king of Hawaii and the first monarch to travel around the world, was inspired by the European palaces he saw during his 1881 voyage.
IDAHO: The Dog Bark Park Inn
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The Dog Bark Park Inn in Cottonwood is a delightful piece of American kitsch. The bed and breakfast is shaped like two charming beagles.
ILLINOIS: Bahá'í House of Worship
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Although there are between 5 and 6 million adherents to the Bahá'í Faith, there are only eight continental houses of worship worldwide. The one in Wilmette, Illinois, is the oldest still standing, and the only one in the United States.
INDIANA: West Baden Springs Hotel
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When the West Baden Springs Hotel opened in 1902, it was billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World. While enjoying the view from inside the massive domed atrium — at one point the largest in the world — it's easy to see why.
IOWA: Grotto of the Redemption
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Father Paul Dobberstein promised to build a shrine to the Virgin Mary as she helped cure his grave case of pneumonia. His resulting Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend is made of rocks, shells, fossils, and gems pressed into concrete. It's the size of a football field.
KANSAS: Big Well in Greensburg
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The Big Well in Greensburg is a museum that rests atop its titular main attraction: the largest hand-dug well in the world, spanning 32 feet in diameter and reaching a depth of 109 feet.
KENTUCKY: Churchill Downs
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Churchill Downs, most famously the host of the Kentucky Derby, can hold 120,000 excited, sometimes rowdy, racing fans at max capacity.
LOUISIANA: The Pontalba Buildings
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The Pontalba Buildings, which make up two sides of New Orleans' Jackson Square, are emblematic of the French Quarter. Some of the residences on the upper floors are believed to be the oldest continuously rented apartments in the country.
MAINE: The Portland Head Light
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The Portland Head Light — one of the state's many lighthouses — has been around since 1791. It was built under the directive of George Washington himself.
MARYLAND: The American Visionary Art Museum
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The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore showcases outsider art. All the works within its wonky exterior were made by inspired, self-taught creators.
MASSACHUSETTS: Simmons Hall at MIT
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Simmons Hall at MIT is the coolest dorm building in the US. It looks like a monstrous Tetris piece combined with underground caverns.
MICHIGAN: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
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The museum, one of the oldest and largest dedicated to African American history, is a three-story building designed with influences of African and local Detroit architecture. The building features a stunning 55-foot-tall glass dome ceiling.
MINNESOTA: The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
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The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Saint Paul's Como Park was opened to the public in 1915 and features Japanese, Bonsai, and butterfly gardens, among others.
MISSISSIPPI: Gehry's Pods at the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art
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Designed by Frank Gehry — whose striking work also includes the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain — the curved metal pods, which house pottery at Biloxi's Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, are meant to look as if they were "dancing with the trees," per the museum's website.
MISSOURI: The Community Bookshelf
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The parking garage at the Kansas City Library is called the Community Bookshelf. It displays the giant spines of 22 classic books that were suggested by Kansas City readers.
MONTANA: Montana State Capitol building
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Construction started on the Montana State Capitol in 1896. The inside of the rotunda salutes four types of people central to the state's early history: a native American, an explorer, a gold miner, and a cowboy.
NEBRASKA: Nebraska State Capitol Building
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The Nebraska Capitol in Lincoln is one of the greatest state capitol buildings in the US. Built between 1922 and 1932, the building features artworks representing the development of law and the state of Nebraska.
NEVADA: Ward Charcoal Ovens
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The distinctive beehive-shaped Ward Charcoal Ovens in Ely were built for silver mining back in the 1870s, and they still look like nothing else on the landscape.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Mount Washington Hotel
Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
Built in 1902, the Mount Washington Hotel — today operating as the Omni Mount Washington Resort — is one of the last remaining grand hotels in the state, and is rumored to be haunted.
NEW JERSEY: Nassau Hall at Princeton University
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Nassau Hall is the oldest building at Princeton University, dating back to the 1750s. While it now houses the school's administrative offices, during the Revolutionary War it was occupied by both British and American forces and suffered damage during the battles.
NEW MEXICO: Taos Pueblo
This October 2012 photo shows adobe dwellings at the Taos Pueblo in Taos, N.M., a UNESCO World Heritage site where the Taos native people have lived for 1,000 years. Tours of the pueblo describe the community’s survival and challenges across the centuries. The picture-perfect dwellings are multi-level, often with ladders to reach upper floors and round ovens outside.
AP Photo/Beth Harpaz
Hundreds of years old, the Taos Pueblo is a multi-story complex built by Native Americans from the region. It looks like one big, molded piece, and it's still used as a residence.
NEW YORK: The Chrysler Building
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The Empire State Building gets all the hype, but it's the Chrysler Building that's really the most magnificent skyscraper in New York City. The Art Deco-style building was the tallest in the world when it was built, but it was beaten out by — you guessed it — the Empire State Building just 11 months later.
NORTH CAROLINA: The Executive Mansion
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Give it to North Carolina for having its most beautiful building designated as a civil landmark. The state's Executive Mansion in Raleigh is the home of the governor and a high-profile event venue that's open to public tours.
NORTH DAKOTA: The North Dakota Heritage Center
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At the center of the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck is a great glass cube flanked by two copper-colored wings. It's the home of the state's greatest treasures, including Native American historical artifacts and lots of dinosaur fossils.
OHIO: The Longaberger Company building
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The Longaberger Company, which makes baskets, made a building in Newark that perfectly matches its brand. The building was closed in 2016, and it has largely sat idle since.
Plans for the property have included a hotel, a coworking space, and, most recently, a mixed-use development, but it still has an unclear path for the future.
OKLAHOMA: First Americans Museum
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The First Americans Museum's 175,000-square-foot building in Oklahoma pays homage to the state's indigenous populations and their history. The design is inspired by the importance placed on the rising and setting sun by Native populations, with the Remembrance Walls being aligned with the sunrise.
The central half-dome is supported by 10 pillars of various stones, each representing a 10-mile stretch traveled by Native people during forced removal from their original homelands, according to the museum's website.
OREGON: The Portland Building
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In 2009, Travel + Leisure famously called The Portland Building "one of the most hated buildings in America," and its reputation is split among architecture critics. But its shapes, strange geometric clashes of glass and stone, make it the weird building that Portland most deserves.
PENNSYLVANIA: Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater
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Frank Lloyd Wright's 1935 masterpiece Fallingwater remains Pennsylvania's greatest work of architecture. Water falls from each level of the building into the one below, perfectly integrating with the landscape.
RHODE ISLAND: The Breakers
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Built as a summer residence for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, The Breakers mansion in Newport has 70 rooms across 138,300 square feet, making itone of the largest houses in the US and an icon of Gilded Age architecture.
SOUTH CAROLINA: The International African American Museum
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In South Carolina, the International African American Museum stands on top of 18 13-foot pillars that keep the museum from touching the sacred ground on which it was built.
The museum is situated on the historic site of Gadsden's Wharf in Charleston's Cooper River, which was the last and most significant disembarkation point in North America for enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade, per the US Civil Rights Trail website.
SOUTH DAKOTA: The Corn Palace
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The walls of the Corn Palace in Mitchell are adorned with complex murals and art that's all been made out of, you guessed it, corn. The design changes every year.
TENNESSEE: Parthenon in Centennial Park
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Built in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition — and then reconstructed between 1921 and 1930 — the Parthenon in Centennial Park is a full-sized replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Today, it's open to the public as an art museum.
TEXAS: James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany skyspace
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Designed by renowned artist James Turrell, the "Twilight Epiphany" Skyspace in Houston is a performance space that makes you feel as though you've entered another dimension.
UTAH: Natural History Museum of Utah
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The Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City looks like it could have been carved out of the landscape. It was designed by Todd Schliemann of Ennead Architects.
VERMONT: The Old Round Church
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The Old Round Church in Richmond is technically a 16-sided polygon, but it's still enough of a circle to lend credence to a rumor that it was built in that shape so that the Devil had no corners to hide in.
VIRGINIA: Dulles International Airport
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If they're done wrong, airports can be the most insufferable place to spend a few hours. But we have to admire Virginia's Dulles International Airport, which almost looks like a futuristic aircraft itself.
WASHINGTON: Seattle Central Library
SEATTLE - MAY 19: An exterior view of Seattle's new Central LIbrary on May 19, 2004 in Seattle, Washington. The glass and steel structure was designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture of the Netherlands and Seattle-based LMN Architects and cost $165.5 million to build. It is set to open to the public May 23.
Photo by Ron Wurzer/Getty Images
Forget the idea of a dusty old home for books nobody reads. The Seattle Central Library is a miracle of modern architecture.
WASHINGTON, DC: The United States Capitol
Construction on the Capitol started in 1793.
Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock
Construction on the Capitol started in 1793.
The United States Capitol is such a mainstay of nightly news and political pop culture that it's easy to take for granted. It's nice to step back once in a while and take in the grandeur and historical significance of this government building that reflects on America's complicated past.
Construction on the Capitol began in September 1793, and much of the structure was built by enslaved workers working alongside free Black and white laborers, per the White House Historical Association. In 2012, a marker was added to the Capitol Visitor Center commemorating the unpaid labor of enslaved people who built the nation's Capitol.
WEST VIRGINIA: The Palace of Gold
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The Palace of Gold is a majestic memorial shrine located in the Hare Krishna community of New Vrindaban.
WISCONSIN: The Burke Brise Soleil
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The most striking feature of the Milwaukee Art Museum is the Burke Brise Soleil, a towering sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan. It folds and unfolds twice a day.
WYOMING: Smith Mansion
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This wacky-looking building is in the middle of the remote Wapiti Valley. In 1971, architect Francis Lee Smith started building the structure by hand as his and his family's home. After completing the first floor in 1973, he could not stop building. He died after falling from one of the balconies in 1992.
Crowds in New York City, the largest city in the US.
Andrew Kelly/Reuters
The 2020 US Census determined the largest city in every state.
New York City is the biggest US city, followed by Los Angeles and Chicago.
Some states' most populous cities only have tens of thousands of residents.
Conducted every 10 years, the United States census counts every person living in the US and collects statistics such as age, sex, and household makeup.
A city's population, along with other demographic data, is a key factor in determining its allocations for federal and state funding.
According to 2020 census data, some states' most populous cities only have tens of thousands of residents, while others, like New York City, have more than 8 million.
Take a look at the largest city in every state.
ALABAMA: Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama.
Isabella Pino/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Population: 200,733
ALASKA: Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska.
Rocky Grimes/Shutterstock
Population: 291,247
ARIZONA: Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona.
Shutterstock
Population: 1,608,139
ARKANSAS: Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas.
Walter Bibikow/Getty Images
Population: 202,591
CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Population: 3,898,747
COLORADO: Denver
Denver's forthcoming "Benefit Recovery Fund," a permanent "wage-replacement" program for undocumented workers, is the first of its kind in the country.
Every US state has a capitol that houses its state legislature.
Many state capitols are domed buildings similar to the US Capitol, but others are more unique.
Maryland's State House is the oldest capitol in continuous legislative use in the US.
A state's capitol can tell you a lot about its history.
State capitols house each state's legislative branch of government, executive offices, and other administrative and ceremonial spaces. While their function may be the same across all 50 states, their architectural designs vary.
Many state capitols feature references to their locations, like the Kansas State Capitol is topped by Ad Astra, a statue representing a Kansa (Kaw) warrior, while the New Hampshire State House, built largely from locally quarried granite, nods to the state's "Granite State" identity.
Some buildings date back to the founding of the United States. Maryland's State House in Annapolis, completed in 1779, is the oldest one in continuous use as a legislative center.
Every capitol has a unique look and distinct origin. Here's what the capitol looks like in every state.
Montgomery, Alabama
UNITED STATES - MARCH 15: Capitol building, Montgomery, Alabama
Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images
Alabama's capitol served as the first capital of the Confederacy, and there's a brass star on one of the porticos marking the spot where Jefferson Davis was sworn in as its president, according to the Alabama Historical Commission.
The building that stands today was constructed in 1851, after a fire burned down the original building in 1849, according to the Alabama Historical Commission.
One of the more famous parts of the capitol grounds is the Avenue of Flags. It has the flag of every state, plus a native rock from each state at the base of its flag. It was dedicated in 1968, according to Exploring Montgomery.
Juneau, Alaska
Alaska's capitol in Juneau.
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The Alaska State Capitol, completed in 1931, doesn't look much different from any other office building in Juneau, save for the marble columns. According to Alaska's official website, it is one of the few state capitols that do not feature a dome.
As The New York Times reported in 1981, neither the building nor the location was popular with locals — both were chosen because of cost concerns shaping both construction and relocations. Voters approved a measure in the 1970s to move the capitol, but the effort ultimately failed.
As recently as 2022, Alaskan senators sponsored a bill to move the capital, this time to Willow, reported Alaska Public Media, but for now, Juneau remains the Last Frontier's capital city.
Phoenix, Arizona
PHOENIX ARIZONA, Replica of Liberty Bell in front of Arizona State Capitol Building at sunrise.
Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Arizona's capitol was dedicated in 1901. It stopped being the home of the legislative branches of government in 1960, and by 1978, all government officials had been moved to other buildings nearby in an area called the Capitol Complex.
The original building was then officially converted into a museum open to the public.
Little Rock, Arkansas
Arkansas State Capitol building front entrance in Little Rock.
Don & Melinda Crawford/Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Arkansas' capitol took 16 years to complete. Construction lasted from 1899 to 1915, and the building was originally designed by architect George R. Mann, with later revisions by Cass Gilbert, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
This building replaced the State House, which is now the Old State House Museum, according to Arkansas Heritage.
Sacramento, California
SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 9: The California state Capitol building is shown October 9, 2003 in downtown Sacramento, California. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger won in his bid to replace California Gov. Gray Davis, who was recalled in a special election October 7.
David Paul Morris/Getty Images
The building was constructed between 1860 and 1874, and designed by Reuben S. Clark. It has been listed as a California Historical Landmark since 1974, according to the Historic State Capitol Commission.
Its design was based on the US Capitol in Washington, DC, among other well-known American buildings, according to the State of California Capitol Museum.
The California State Capitol is located inside the 40-acre Capitol Park, which contains trees from around the world, a World Peace Rose Garden, and the Civil War Memorial Grove.
Denver, Colorado
Colorado's capitol in Denver.
4nadia/Getty Images/iStock
The Colorado Capitol, which was completed in 1901, was also designed to look like the US Capitol, but with a Colorado twist: The dome is covered in real gold leaf donated by gold miners to reference the Colorado Gold Rush from 1858 to 1861, according to the Colorado General Assembly.
Hartford, Connecticut
Connecticut State Capitol. The building houses the Connecticut General Assembly; the upper house, the State Senate, and lower house, the House of Representatives, as well as the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
Rolf Schulten/ullstein bild/Getty Images
The current Connecticut State Capitol is actually the third capitol the state has had since the American Revolution. This one, designed by Richard M. Upjohn, opened in 1879, according to Connecticut's official state website.
The golden dome is surrounded by six pairs of statues representing agriculture, commerce, education and law, force and war, science and justice, and music, according to the State Capitol Preservation & Restoration Commission.
Dover, Delaware
The Legislative Hall in Dover, Delaware, USA, circa 1960.
Harvey Meston/Archive Photos/Getty Images
The Delaware Legislative Hall was dedicated in 1933 and replaced the Old State House, which is opposite the Hall on the capitol mall. It was designed in the Colonial Revival style by E. William Martin, according to Delaware's official state website.
Washington, DC
WASHINGTON - JUNE 5: The U.S. Capitol is shown June 5, 2003 in Washington, DC. Both houses of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives meet in the Capitol.
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The United States Capitol is located on Capitol Hill in DC. It was in construction for decades, partially destroyed in 1814, and then finally finished in 1829, according to Architect of the Capitol. The famous, gigantic dome was later added during an expansive addition in 1855, designed by Thomas U. Walter.
Atop the dome sits the "Statue of Freedom," a 19-foot statue of a woman wearing a battle helmet, holding a sheathed sword in one hand, and a laurel wreath and shield in the other. She's been there since 1863, according to Architect of the Capitol.
Tallahassee, Florida
TALLAHASSEE, FL - NOVEMBER 10: A view of the Florida State Capitol building on November 10, 2018 in Tallahassee, Florida. Three close midtern election races for governor, senator, and agriculture commissioner are expected to be recounted in Florida.
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The current capitol, also called the New Capitol, is located directly in front of the original — together, they form the Capitol Complex. The New Capitol was built in 1977 by architect Edward Durell Stone and the firm of Reynolds, Smith, and Hills, according to the Florida Capitol website.
The website reports the building was designed in an "international style to reflect a modern Florida," and includes a 22-story central tower.
The Old Capitol still stands, and it was restored to its original 1902 glory in the '80s. Currently, the building is the Florida Historic Capitol Museum.
Atlanta, Georgia
Sunlight gleams on the golden dome of the Georgia State Capitol building in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Georgia's capitol was finished in 1889 and designed by Willoughby J. Edbrooke and Franklin P. Burnham, according to the city of Atlanta's website. It sits on the site of the former Atlanta City Hall/Fulton County Courthouse, which was there from 1854 to 1994.
According to the city, it's one of 43 National Historic Landmarks in the state.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii State Capitol. The Capitol building houses the Hawaii State Legislature (Senate and House of Representatives) and the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governo
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At the dedication of the Hawaiian capitol in 1969, then-Governor John A. Burns explained the design of the building, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported.
"In this great State Capitol there are no doors at the grand entrances which open toward the mountains and toward the sea," he said. "There is no roof or dome to separate its vast inner court from the heavens and from the same eternal stars which guided the first voyagers to the primeval beauty of these shores."
The building is also surrounded by a reflecting pool meant to symbolize the Pacific Ocean, which surrounds the chain of 137 recognized islands that make up Hawaii, according to the State of Hawaii.
Boise, Idaho
The Idaho State Capitol building in Boise home of the government of the state of Idaho
Idaho's capitol was designed by architects J.E. Tourtellotte and Charles Hummel, and was constructed between 1905 and 1920. According to Idaho's Capitol Commission, it's the only capitol in the US that is heated by geothermal water. It comes from a spring 3,000 feet underground.
Springfield, Illinois
SPRINGFIELD, IL - APRIL 9: The Illinois State Capitol building stands among empty streets in Springfield, Illinois on April 9, 2020
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According to a pamphlet by the Illinois Secretary of State's office, the current capitol (the state's sixth) was completed in 1888, 20 years after crews broke ground. At the time of its construction, the limestone dome was illuminated by 144 gas jets. However, the carbon emitted by those jets eventually turned the dome black.
It took 100 years, but it was finally cleaned in 1986.
Indianapolis, Indiana
State capitol building in downtown Indianapolis Indiana on a sunny spring morning, Indianapolis is the capital city of Indiana and is located in the center of the state with the capitol building located downtown.
According to the Indiana Department of Administration, Indiana's capitol was completed in 1888, and is home to all executive offices, the Indiana State Senate, the Indiana House of Representatives, and the Indiana State Supreme Court, among others. It was constructed with Indiana limestone.
Des Moines, Iowa
UNITED STATES - AUGUST 28: Capitol building, Des Moines, Iowa
Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images
The large golden dome is 23 carats, and the entire building is 275 feet tall, according to a visitor's guide. It's been re-gilded four times since its construction in 1886.
Overall, Iowa's capitol has a total of five domes, making it the only capitol in the US with five.
Topeka, Kansas
State Capitol of Kansas, Topeka
Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Kansas' capitol dome is topped with a statue called "Ad astra" (Latin for "to the stars"), which is part of the state's motto, "ad astra per aspera" ("to the stars through difficulties"), according to the Kansas Historical Society.
The statue itself is a bronze depiction of a warrior from the Kansa tribe (also known as the Kaw Nation or Kanza), who call Kansas home and gave the state its name.
The entire building took 37 years to construct, also according to the Kansas Historical Society, from 1866 to 1903.
Frankfort, Kentucky
FRANKFORT, KY - APRIL 2: Thousands of public school teachers and their supporters protest against a pension reform bill at the Kentucky State Capitol April 2, 2018 in Frankfort, Kentucky. The teachers are calling for higher wages and are demanding that Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin veto a bill that overhauls their pension plan.
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Kentucky's capitol was designed by Frank Mills Andrews, according to Kentucky's official state website. There are also statues lining the front portico that represent Kentucky, the central figure, with Progress, History, Plenty, Law, Art, and Labor as her "attendants," according to the state website.
The current building is the fourth capitol in the state, and it was completed in 1910.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The capitol of Louisiana, seat of government, is a building of 34 floors and 135 meters high, which makes it the highest capitol of the United States. It is also the highest building of Louisiana. Its style is connected with that of the old New York skyscrapers. This new capitol was built between 1930 and 1932.
David LEFRANC/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
The Louisiana Capitol is just one of nine capitols in the US that doesn't feature a dome — and at 450 feet tall (or 34 floors), it's also the tallest capitol in the country, according to Louisiana's House of Representatives.
It was dedicated in 1932, without the person who had spearheaded the effort to build it, Senator Huey P. Long, a controversial figure in Louisiana's history, as reported by Encyclopedia Britannica.
Augusta, Maine
Staff photo by Joe Phelan -- For slide show about the Statehouse in Augusta.
Joe Phelan/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images
The capital of Maine was originally Portland when the state broke away from Massachusetts in 1820. But when Mainers asked for a more centrally located capital city, Augusta was chosen in 1827, according to the Maine State Legislature. The building was completed by 1832.
The State House's dome is topped with a female figure of Wisdom, which was designed by sculptor W. Clark Noble of Gardiner, a town 6 miles from Augusta.
Annapolis, Maryland
Maryland State House, state capitol building, Annapolis, Maryland, exterior view.
Maryland's State House is the oldest capitol in continuous legislative use in the US, built in 1779, according to its official website. It's also the only state capitol to have once served as the US capitol when the Continental Congress met there from 1783 to 1784, according to the website.
Boston, Massachusetts
The Old State House for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, State Capitol Building, Boston, Mass.
Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
The Massachusetts State House, built in 1789, originally had a wooden dome, but Paul Revere's own company was responsible for covering it in copper in 1802, CBS News reported.
And the land it was built on? It used to be owned by none other than John Hancock, who was Massachusetts' first elected governor.
Lansing, Michigan
August 1970. Lansing, Michigan. Exterior view of the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing.
Bettman/Getty Images
The floors of Michigan's capitol, which was dedicated in 1879, are made of limestone and have visible fossils in them, as you can see on the capitol's official website.
St. Paul, Minnesota
ST. PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 15: Minnesota State Capitol Building in St. Paul, Minnesota on October 15, 2018.
Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
According to Explore Minnesota, the state's capitol is the second-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, only behind St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Architect Cass Gilbert insisted on using Georgia marble for the dome, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. Some were critical of using out-of-state materials, so as a compromise, the contractor leased the quarry in Georgia and imported the rough marble so Minnesotans could do the work in-state.
It took nine years, but was completed in 1905.
Jackson, Mississippi
Protesters (L) gather outside the Mississippi State Capitol building during the state legislature's historic vote to change the Mississippi flag in Jackson, Mississippi on June 28, 2020. - Lawmakers in Mississippi voted on June 28 to remove the Confederate battle standard from the state flag, after nationwide protests drew renewed attention to symbols of the United States' racist past.
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Designed by architect Theodore Link and constructed between 1901 and 1903, Mississippi's state capitol was built on the site of an old state penitentiary, according to the state capitol's official website. The building spans 171,000 square feet and features 4,750 original electric light fixtures, as well as an 8-foot statue of an eagle on the top of its dome.
Jefferson City, Missouri
8/31/1970- Jefferson City, MO- ORIGINAL CAPTION READS: Exterior views of the Missouri State Capitol building, include the surrounding trees and lawn.
Bettman/Getty Images
Missouri's state capitol was completed in 1917, according to its official website. Ceres, the goddess of grain, sits at the top of its dome.
In addition to Missouri's state legislature, the 500,000-square-foot building houses the Missouri State Museum with exhibits about the state's history and natural resources.
The main building of Montana's state capitol was completed in 1902, and its two wings were added in 1911 and 1912, according to the Montana Historical Society. Inside, the building features works of art such as the mural "Lewis and Clark Meeting Indians at Ross' Hole," painted by Charles M. Russell in 1912.
Lincoln, Nebraska
tate capitol building in Lincoln Nebraska on a sunny spring day and emphasizing the buildings tall central tower and dome, Lincoln, the capital city of Nebraska, is located in the southeastern part of the state along Interstate-80. The state legislature in Nebraska is the only unicameral legislature among all of the states.
Nebraska's state capitol was designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and completed in 1932, according to its official website. The 400-foot tower is topped with a 19-foot bronze statue called "The Sower."
It is the only state legislature to be unicameral, meaning it only has one chamber.
Carson City, Nevada
State Capitol of Nevada, Carson City
Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Nevada's state capitol was built from 1870 to 1871 out of sandstone sourced from a quarry belonging to Abe Curry, the founder of Carson City, according to Travel Nevada. It features a silver-colored dome, a nod to Nevada's nickname as "the silver state."
Concord, New Hampshire
State Capitol of New Hampshire, Concord
Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
The New Hampshire State House was constructed between 1816 and 1819 with locally sourced granite from Rattlesnake Hill in Concord, according to the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources.
In 1818, a wooden sculpture of an eagle painted with gold was installed on top of the capitol dome. It was replaced with a copper replica in 1957, but the original sculpture can be viewed on display inside the capitol, according to EverGreene, the architecture firm that restored the State House's gold-plated dome.
Trenton, New Jersey
TRENTON, NJ - JUNE 24: New Jersey State Capitol Building, New Jersey Flags Fly at Half Staff in Honor of Actor James Gandolfini on June 24, 2013 in Trenton, New Jersey.Gandolfini passed away on June 19, 2013 at the age of 51 while on vacation in Rome, Italy.
Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images
After Maryland, New Jersey State House is the second-oldest capitol still in use, completed in 1792, according to the state of New Jersey's official website. Much of the original building, designed by architect Jonathan Doane, was destroyed in a fire in 1885.
Architect Lewis Broome restored the capitol and added a cast-iron dome plated with copper and gold and featuring the Latin phrase "Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum," meaning "There must be justice even though the heavens fall."
Santa Fe, New Mexico
SANTA FE, NM - FEBRUARY 10, 2012: The New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe, known as the Roundhouse, is the only round capitol building in the U.S.
Robert Alexander/Archive Photos/Getty Images
New Mexico's capitol, known as the Roundhouse, is the only round capitol in the US, according to Santa Fe's official tourist website. Architect Willard C. Kruger modeled the design after the Zia sun symbol, which he also incorporated into the capitol rotunda skylight. The symbol is also part of New Mexico's state flag.
Albany, New York
ALBANY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2018/10/09: New York State Capitol Building.
John Greim/LightRocket/Getty Images
When New York's state capitol in Albany was finally finished after 32 years in 1899, it was at a cost of $25 million, making it one of the most expensive government projects in the US. In 2013, The New York Times reported the figure was equivalent to more than half a billion dollars today.
Inside the granite building, visitors can find 25 murals by William deLeftwich Dodge in the Governor's Reception Room.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Law enforcement stand guard outside of the state capitol building in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, on January 17, 2021, during a nationwide protest called by anti-government and far-right groups supporting US President Donald Trump and his claim of electoral fraud in the November 3 presidential election. - The FBI warned authorities in all 50 states to prepare for armed protests at state capitals in the days leading up to the January 20 presidential inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
LOGAN CYRUS/AFP via Getty Images
Completed in 1840, North Carolina's 3-story capitol includes a copper dome, according to the National Park Service.
Bismarck, North Dakota
Photo taken August 18, 2013 shows the state Capitol building of North Dakota at Bismarck
KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images
North Dakota's state capitol is the tallest building in the state at 241 feet and 8 inches tall, according to the official government website. The Art-Deco structure is nicknamed the "Skyscraper on the Prairie," according to the Society of Architecture Historians.
Columbus, Ohio
Aerial of Capitol Building, Downtown Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Construction of the Ohio Statehouse took over 20 years, from 1839 to 1861, according to its official website. Much of the work was done by prisoners at Ohio Penitentiary, some of whom left graffiti on the walls that was uncovered during restoration work, the website says. Built in the Greek-Revival architecture style out of Columbus limestone, the Statehouse is a designated National Historic Landmark.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Oklahoma State Capitol building was built in 1917. The beautiful dome was added in recent years. When the state erected the building it lacked the funding to build the planned dome, and therefore it went without for decades. Oklahoma City has been the state capital since 1910; Guthrie was the capital of Oklahoma from 1890 to 1910.
Jordan McAlister/Getty Images
Built in 1917, the dome on Oklahoma's capitol was added more recently, in 2002, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society — it was left out of the original construction due to costs. The grounds of Oklahoma's capitol also had active oil rigs until 1986. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Salem, Oregon
Oregon's state capitol building in Salem.
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Oregon's Art Deco capitol is made of white Vermont marble with a gold statue of an "Oregon Pioneer" atop the dome, according to the capitol's official website. In-person guided tours are paused due to construction.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES - 2015/10/06: Pennsylvania State capitol building
John Greim/LightRocket/Getty Images
Pennsylvania's capitol, designed by architect Joseph Huston, cost $13 million to build when it was completed in 1906, which would be over $403 million today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The building's 272-foot dome is decorated with green glazed terra cotta tile, according to the capitol's official website.
Providence, Rhode Island
Rhode Island, Providence, State House, State Capitol.
The Rhode Island State House, built between 1895 and 1904, features the fourth-largest freestanding marble dome in the world, according to the Rhode Island Restoration Committee's official website. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970.
Columbia, South Carolina
An exterior view of the South Carolina State House, Columbia - construction work first began in 1851 and was completed in 1907, it was designated a national historic landmark in 1976 for its significance in the post-civil war reconstruction era.
Epics/Getty Images
The construction of the South Carolina State House began in 1854, but halted due to the Civil War. The building still features cannonball marks from when the Union army captured Columbia in 1865, according to Discover South Carolina. The State House was finally completed in 1903, and it was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976, according to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
A portrait of state senator Clementa Pinckney, who was killed in the 2015 shooting at Charleston's Mother Emanuel AME Church, hangs in the Senate Gallery.
Pierre, South Dakota
State capitol building in downtown Pierre in central South Dakota, The state capital city of South Dakota is Pierre in the center of the state on the shores of the Missouri River with the capitol building located downtown in this small city of about 14,000 people.
South Dakota's state capitol was constructed between 1905 and 1910, not long after South Dakota became a US state in 1889, according to the South Dakota Bureau of Administration. An annex was added in 1932. The Neoclassical building features scagliola plaster columns, war memorials, and stained-glass windows, according to Travel South Dakota.
Nashville, Tennessee
NASHVILLE - MAY 25: Tennessee State Capitol Building, as photographed from The Rivers Of Tennessee Fountain grounds at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in Nashville, Tennessee on May 25, 2016. (
Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
The Tennessee State Capitol opened in 1859. The architect, William Strickland, died during its construction in 1854 and was buried on the capitol grounds along with President James K. Polk and first lady Sarah Childress Polk, according to the Tennessee State Museum.
Austin, Texas
The Texas State Capitol building in Austin, Texas
James Leynse/Corbis/Getty Images
Completed in 1888, the Texas State Capitol dome is topped with a statue of Libertas, the goddess of liberty, according to the official website for the Texas House of Representatives. It stands 14 feet taller than the US Capitol.
Salt Lake City, Utah
The Utah State Capitol building in Salt Lake City.
Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Utah's State Capitol was designed by architect Richard K.A. Kletting and was completed in 1916, according to its official website. The rotunda features bronze and marble statues of Native American leaders, LDS pioneers, and US presidents such as Abraham Lincoln, according to its website.
Montpelier, Vermont
Vermont capitol building in Montpelier.
MyLoupe/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
The Vermont State House, designed in the Greek Revival architecture style, dates back to 1857, according to the National Park Service. A statue of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, adorns the top of the dome.
Richmond, Virginia
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - JANUARY 20: Thousands of gun rights advocates attend a rally organized by The Virginia Citizens Defense League on Capitol Square at the State Capitol building January 20, 2020 in Richmond, Virginia. During elections last year, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam promised to enact sweeping gun control laws in 2020, including limiting handgun purchase to one per month, banning military-style weapons and silencers, allowing localities to ban guns in public spaces and enacting a 'red flag' law so authorities can temporarily seize weapons from someone deemed a threat. While event organizers have asked supporters to show up un-armed, militias and other extremist groups from across the country plan to attend the rally and show their support for gun rights.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Thomas Jefferson designed Virginia's state capitol to look like the ancient Roman temple of Maison Carée, according to the Virginia General Assembly's official website. The building also features a bronze statue of Jefferson, who is depicted holding the capitol's architectural blueprints.
Olympia, Washington
Washington State Capitol Legislative Building and blooming cherry trees in Olympia, Washington.
Greg Vaughn /VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Washington State Legislative Building features the tallest freestanding masonry dome in North America at 287 feet, according to the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services. Designed by Walter Wilder and Harry White, it was completed in 1928.
Charleston, West Virginia
CHARLESTON, WV -JUNE 26: The State Capitol building in Charleston is actually taller than the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. -Charleston is the destination for the traveler who enjoys food, music, nature and rural culture in a mid-size city.
Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post/Getty Images
West Virginia's capitol, designed by Cass Gilbert, took eight years and almost $10 million to construct before its completion in 1932, according to its official website. The dome stands at 293 feet tall — 5 feet higher than the US Capitol in Washington, DC.
Madison, Wisconsin
MADISON, WI - MARCH 12: Thousands of demonstrators protest outside the Wisconsin State Capitol March 12, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. Organizers were expecting 200 thousand participants to attend the rally to voice their opposition to Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill which essentially eliminated collective bargaining rights for state workers.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Wisconsin's state capitol features the only granite dome in the US, according to Travel Wisconsin. On top of the dome, a gilded bronze statue by Daniel Chester French is aptly named "Wisconsin."
Cheyenne, Wyoming
386423 02: The Wyoming State Capitol building is seen March 6, 2001 in Cheyenne, Wy. Wyoming lawmakers passed the Insurance Coverage for Diabetes Act which requires health policies to cover diabetes supplies, equipment and education.
Michael Smith/Newsmakers/Getty Images
Wyoming's state capitol, constructed between 1886 and 1890, was built in the Renaissance Revival architecture style, according to the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information. It is one of 20 state capitols designated as a National Historic Landmark, according to the National Park Service.
People love to complain about baby boomers, including that they have a lot of stuff. They're hoarding all the houses, they're keeping all the money, they're materialists who have accumulated an exorbitant amount of possessions. There are a couple of problems with these gripes: For one, no generation is a monolith, and everybody amasses things over the course of their lives, so back off. But more importantly, youths and slightly-beyond-youths, the stuff pileup is actually to your benefit.
The golden age of boomer estate sales is upon us, and while you probably don't want all the wedding china that's about to flood the market, there's a lot of other neat stuff you can pick up. Think knickknacks for Gen Z maximalists, midcentury modern decor, and so much silver that one estate seller says the weighing it all makes her team "feel like drug dealers." Over the next couple of decades, baby boomers' stuff has to go somewhere, and that rehoming process is increasingly taking place at estate sales.
"I call it the tsunami of stuff," says Julie Hall, the director of the American Society of Estate Liquidators. "It's cresting."
There are … a lot of baby boomers. America's over-65 population reached 55.8 million in 2020, and an additional 42.4 million are in the 55-64 age group (which, yes, catches some Gen Xers). This adds up to nearly 100 million people who have amassed a large amount of possessions — stuff they bought, stuff they got from their own parents, stuff their kids stuck them with.
"They kept everything," says Sarah Hersh, one of the owners of Ben Hersh Estate Sales in New Jersey. Boomers were the first American generation to come up in an era of mass production and blatant consumerism, and many of the things they bought were built to last. "When we go into these houses of the boomer generation, they're packed to the rafters with stuff from the mid-century to current."
You can't take it with you, and there are plenty of people willing to scoop up the stuff you've left behind.
Many elders would prefer to keep all of this stuff in the family, but their kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews don't want to inherit much, or simply don't have the space. Enter the estate sale — pop-up limited-time museums of a person's life, where everything on the premises is for sale.
"Boomers were an era of collectors. They believed in entertaining, and they believed their possessions had value, so they were proud to amass large collections of things to display to the world," Hersh says. "We don't really live like that anymore, but those things make for excellent inventory for resellers and the new younger generation of consumers who are into that vibe."
Gen Z likes the appeal of sustainability, plus they're into "cottagecore" and "grandmacore" aesthetics. Millennials and Gen X want midcentury modern and utilitarian pieces.
I recognize estate sales can sound a bit morbid at first, but not all offloadings come after a funeral. There are actually four Ds to estate sales: downsizing, divorce, decorating, and, yes, death. That latter one may give you the heebie jeebies, but as the saying goes, you can't take it with you, and there are plenty of people willing to scoop up the stuff you've left behind.
Janelle Stone, a high-end estate liquidator, operates out of what she calls the "mecca of estate sales" — Dallas — and sees her line of work as a goldmine. After decades of minimalism in fashion and design, maximalism is back. She's started buying plate hangers to put dishes on display again and marvels at 20-something shoppers grabbing various tchotchkes. Furs have gone "insane," she says, and the same goes for vintage fashion. Customers will wait in line for two hours for a Herend porcelain starfish they've scoped out online prior to the sale. "You're never going to completely clear a house, but it's pretty amazing," she says. "People know what they want, and they come and buy."
It's a huge moment for sterling, given the increase in the price of silver, which hit an all-time high of over $120 per ounce at the start of the year. (It's since come back down but is still in the $85 range.) Stone tells me it's affected how they price it — they can't be as aggressive, because nobody can afford to pay $16,000 for an eight-piece silverware set, and the smelters are so inundated they might not even take it. Hence the drug dealer analogy: "We have to weigh it out. I mean, we look like drug dealers with our gram scales and baggies everywhere," she says.
Hersh, in New Jersey, concurs on the popularity of sterling silver and vintage clothes, and adds that vintage collectibles, jewelry, toys, and electronics are also a big draw.
Not everything is flying off the estate sale shelves. Hersh says midcentury modern furniture still sells, but "it's not as strong as it was." Few buyers are into china, etched crystal, and glass. The big brown furniture that's long sat in baby boomers' and the silent generation's homes often goes unwanted.
"A general rule of thumb is the bigger and heavier and darker a piece is, the more likely it's going to remain there and not be sold," Hall says. Younger generations tend to prefer smaller, portable pieces. Hersh tells me clear glass isn't a popular seller "no matter what you do."
I recently witnessed this for myself at an estate sale in Long Island, New York. It was a lazy Sunday, so I showed up during the last hour of a five-hour sale. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the kitchen was two sets of china, one of which looked very similar to the set my mother has. Around the corner was a big brown hutch filled with stacks of crystal and clear glassware, and there was more in the basement. My main thought was we should shut down Ikea immediately and never buy new dishes or glasses again.
The internet has changed and accelerated the scale of the estate industry, just as it has every other part of the economy. Everyone can look up what everything costs, so sellers have to do their research and can't simply guesstimate a fair price anymore. Sellers often post what's available online ahead of time, so buyers can pinpoint exactly what they want before they show up in person.
And then there are the resellers — technology has given birth to a plethora of resale platforms, from eBay to Depop to Whatnot, and droves of people eager to turn flipping used stuff into a side hustle or even a full-time gig. Most of the estate sellers and aficionados I spoke to for this story had tales about this development. Hersh tells me resellers are "vicious," and on certain sales, flipped me up the first 50 people in line. "They are like elbowing each other out of spaces to get to stuff," she says.
Hall points out that the resellers are generally a positive for estate sales — after all, the goal is to get rid of everything in the house, and who cares if someone plans to put it on eBay for triple the price. But they can be pushy, asking for deals. "Resellers sometimes want more of a bargain, and a lot of times we cannot give it to them on the first day," she says. "It's not for the faint of heart."
My recent estate sale experience included this very cool basement bar, and a lot of unwanted items.
Emily Stewart/Business insider
Maddy Brannon, an estate sale influencer based in Washington, DC, says she prefers to hit up estate sales later in the day so she doesn't have to duke it out with the pros. She stumbled into the market when she and her husband were looking to furnish their home, and now she uses her experience to pass along useful tips to the noobs.
"You don't need to be the first person at the estate sale unless you saw something on the listing you absolutely have to have," she says. She's not sure if it's the "Disney World effect" or what, but people worry about long lines and feel like they must be first in at all costs. Plus, later in the day, you're more likely to get a discount.
Brannon's other pieces of advice included going during the week to avoid crowds and making sure you understand the rules of getting in — for some sales, waiting in line isn't enough. Instead, the executor will call you in by name or number. And don't shop off the "hold" table, where shoppers place items they want to buy. "People get really upset about that," she says.
There's genuinely something quite nice to all of this, albeit awkward. We spend our lives accumulating things and, over time, getting attached to them. Getting rid of them can be emotionally fraught, especially if we'd hoped our loved ones would want them or believed they'd hold more value than they do. For many people, it's a hard pill to swallow that their kids don't want their prized tea set, but acknowledging that is also permission to let it go.
There's a peculiar sense of intimacy to estate sales — you walk through someone's home, touch their things, look through their drawers, and get to make up stories about them based on their possessions. The golden age of estate sales isn't just about the "goldmine" of inventory or the "vicious" hustle of the resale market, it's about the way we experience life through tangible items — and how those things can live multiple lives, even ones we're not involved in.
So next time you see an estate sale nearby because your boomer neighbors are finally selling their family home and moving to a condo in Florida, instead of begrudging that it took so long, pop over to see if you can pick up a vintage Le Creuset.
Emily Stewart is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.
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