Millionaires make up only a small percentage of Americans, but their ranks are much thicker on Capitol Hill, where 35 percent of Congress' members have a disclosed net worth of at least — at least! — $1 million. (Perhaps this is one reason Congress is more sensitive to the concerns of the affluent?)
But the range of congressional riches is vast. This map shows the wealthiest member of Congress from each state's delegation, according to CQ Roll Call's Wealth of Congress list (click to enlarge):
Note that these are only minimum net worths. That's because when members of Congress file financial disclosures, they only have to estimate a range of assets, not nail down an exact amount. CQ Roll Call uses the lowest numbers in these ranges, so their wealth estimates — and this map — are actually quite conservative. More fun facts:
- Half of US states have at least one member of Congress worth $9 million.
- 7 states have a member of Congress worth over $ 60 million.
- A mere 3 states — Alaska, Hawaii, and South Dakota — don't have a member of Congress clearly worth over $1 million.
The very richest are Rep. Darrell Issa of California (who started a company that made car alarms), Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas (whose wife is an heiress), Rep. John Delaney of Maryland (who made his money in finance), and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (who is a Rockefeller).
Head over to Roll Call to learn much more.
