Are You Richer Than Your Governor?

Figures are the midpoint of the ranges officials report on public financial disclosure forms, cross-referenced with Ballotpedia and OpenSecrets. Because disclosures use broad value brackets (e.g. "$1M–$5M"), these are good-faith estimates rather than audited balance sheets.

By disclosed assets, Illinois governor JB Pritzker — an heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune — is by far the wealthiest, worth several billion dollars. Colorado’s Jared Polis and Montana’s Greg Gianforte are also nine-figure-plus governors who made fortunes in business before politics.

According to the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, the median US household net worth is about $190,000, while the average (skewed by the ultra-wealthy) is over $1 million. Net worth rises sharply with age, so a fairer comparison is against your own age group.

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The median governor net worth is in the low single-digit millions, but the average is dramatically higher because a handful of billionaire governors — like JB Pritzker — skew the number. Most governors are millionaires, though their wealth varies widely from a few hundred thousand dollars to billions.

Governor salaries range from about $70,000 in Maine and Colorado to over $225,000 in New York and California. The median governor salary is roughly $150,000. However, salary alone rarely explains a governor's net worth — most wealthy governors built their fortunes in business, law, or finance before taking office.

The majority of US governors are millionaires. As of the latest disclosures, at least 40 of the 50 governors report assets placing them above the $1 million net worth threshold. This is far above the general population, where roughly 10% of households have a net worth exceeding $1 million.

A small number of governors report net worths in the low hundreds of thousands — closer to the median American household. These tend to be career public servants who spent most of their careers in government roles rather than the private sector. Exact figures shift with each election cycle as new governors take office.

Research suggests that most governors who are wealthy were already wealthy before entering politics. While governor salaries are well above the national median income, they are modest compared to private-sector executive pay. Some governors have seen their net worth grow during their terms, but this is more often attributable to existing investments appreciating than to any benefit unique to holding office.

Governor net worth estimates are derived from mandatory public financial disclosure forms that elected officials file annually or upon taking office. These forms list assets and liabilities in broad ranges (e.g. "$100,001–$250,000"), so analysts calculate a midpoint estimate. FreedomRankings cross-references these disclosures with data from Ballotpedia, OpenSecrets, and state-level filing databases to arrive at the most accurate estimate possible.

Governors and members of Congress have broadly similar wealth profiles — both groups are far wealthier than the typical American. However, the very wealthiest officeholders tend to be governors, partly because running a statewide campaign often requires significant personal resources or fundraising networks that correlate with personal wealth.

Use the state selector above to pick your state and instantly see your governor's estimated net worth based on their most recent financial disclosure. The tool shows both the estimated range and midpoint, and tells you how your own net worth compares.