Southern states are some of the poorest in the U.S.,while wealth lives mostly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.Mississippi is the nation's poorest state, says the US Census Bureau.Most people earn around $39,680 a year.Maryland ranks as the richest state,where most people earn around $73,971 a year.In addition to Mississippi, the three poorest states include West Virginia and Arkansas.The poverty rate increased in 12 states.In America, 14.8 percent of the population,or 46.7 million people, were living in poverty in 2014.Kentucky, the fifth poorest poor state,saw incomes decline in the previous year.The typical household earned $1,139 less in 2014 than in 2013.In most U.S. states, income was the same in 2013 as 2014.It's the fourth year in a row that poverty rates were not different from the previous year.Household income was 6.5 percent lower in 2014 than in 2007,the year before the U.S. fell into its most recent recession.New Jersey and Alaska rank at the top near Maryland.Three states -- Washington, North Dakota and Connecticut-- reported income increases of $2,000 in 2014.