US States With the Most Millionaires 2011

Each year, Phoenix Marketing International analyzes national data on millionaire households to reveal which U.S. states attract the most high-income families. This information is being published first on CNBC.com. The overall number of millionaire households in the U.S. has increased nationwide for the second time in two years. In 2011, there were 5.94 million millionaire households, compared with 5.56 million households a year earlier, an increase of approximately 6.8 percent. Nearly every U.S. state saw an increase in its total number of millionaires, adding thousands of households to millionaire status, according to the new numbers from Phoenix Marketing. More from CNBC.com: • Most Expensive College Towns • What $1 Million Buys You • The Most Expensive States to Live In The study defines millionaire households as those with $1 million or more in investable or liquid assets (excluding sponsored retirement plans and real estate). Overall, 5.08 percent of U.S. households claim millionaire status, up from last year but still short of the 2007 high of 5.25 percent. [Click here to check home equity rates in your area.] David Thompson, managing director of Phoenix Marketing, notes that "this is the closest it's ever been between the top two states," adding that "all of the top 10 states increased their millionaire ratios during the past year, which underscores that the richest states keep getting richer." In past reports, Thompson has noted that "small states with large concentrations of highly educated professionals and business owners are key ingredients to growing wealth," and that states with a large proportion of millionaires tend to share these characteristics. So, which states are home to the most millionaires? 1. Maryland

Maryland Percentage of households: 7.22% Millionaire households: 157,779 Total households: 2,186,613 Percentage in 2010: 6.79% Millionaire households: 144,686 Percentage in 2009: 6.26% Millionaire households: 133,299 2. Hawaii

Hawaii Getty Images Percentage of households: 7.21% Millionaire households: 33,461 Total households: 464,352 Percentage in 2010: 6.93% Millionaire households: 30,793 Percentage in 2009: 6.41% Millionaire households: 28,363 3. New Jersey

New Getty Images Percentage of households: 7.19% Millionaire households: 231,456 Total households: 3,220,564 Percentage in 2010: 6.69% Millionaire households: 212,396 Percentage in 2009: 6.15% Millionaire households: 197,694 4. Connecticut

Connecticut Getty Images Percentage of households: 7.13% Millionaire households: 98,392 Total households: 1,379,723 Percentage in 2010: 6.65% Millionaire households: 89,647 Percentage in 2009: 6.15% Millionaire households: 82,837 5. Massachusetts

Massachusetts Getty Images Percentage of households: 6.41% Millionaire households: 162,619 Total households: 2,538,474 Percentage in 2010: 5.98% Millionaire households: 150,884 Percentage in 2009: 5.50% Millionaire households: 137,792 6. Alaska

Alaska Percentage of households: 6.39% Millionaire households: 16,239 Total households: 254,103 Percentage in 2010: 5.97% Millionaire households: 14,805 Percentage in 2009: 5.39% Millionaire households: 13,348 7. Virginia

Virginia Getty Images Percentage of households: 6.26% Millionaire households: 195,006 Total households: 3,113,444 Percentage in 2010: 5.94% Millionaire households: 180,638 Percentage in 2009: 5.51% Millionaire households: 166,596 8. New Hampshire

New Percentage of households: 6.06% Millionaire households: 31,159 Total households: 514,053 Percentage in 2010: 5.79% Millionaire households: 29,790 Percentage in 2009: 5.34% Millionaire households: 27,562 9. California

California Percentage of households: 6.01% Millionaire households: 750,686 Total households: 12,487,377 Percentage in 2010: 5.66% Millionaire households: 716,316 Percentage in 2009: 5.28% Millionaire households: 662,735 10. District of Columbia

DC Getty Images Percentage of households: 5.88% Millionaire households: 15,603 Total households: 265,558 Percentage in 2010: 5.53% Millionaire households: 14,533 Percentage in 2009: 5.00% Millionaire households: 13,028 Source(http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/113718/states-most-millionaires-cnbc)