The average federal tax refund amount varies widely across states, with the highest refunds for taxpayers located in parts of the South and Mountain West, according to a new analysis from Upgraded Points, an Austin, TX-based company that provides information to travelers on how to maximize their credit card points, miles, and rewards.
The report looks at national trends in average refund size, the share of taxpayers receiving refunds, and detailed breakdowns by income group, state, and county—offering a closer look at where refunds are highest and who benefits the most.
“Tax refunds vary significantly by income level, with higher-income households receiving larger refunds on average but a smaller share of these households receiving refunds at all,” Upgraded Points said in its report.
For its analysis, Upgraded Points sourced data from the IRS’s filing season statistics and Individual Income Tax Return (Form 1040) statistics. The company used the most recent data from the Form 1040 statistics, which covers the 2022 tax year, for its breakdown of refund amounts by income level, state, and county.
According to the latest IRS data, Upgraded Points found that filers earning less than $50,000 received an average refund of $2,403, with more than 77% of total returns in this group receiving refunds. Refund participation was nearly universal among the lowest-income group, with 99.3% of those eligible choosing to receive a refund rather than applying their overpayment to next year’s taxes, according to the report.
For middle-income filers earning $50,000 to $100,000, the average refund rose to $2,789, though just 68.3% received one. Refunds increased further to $4,188 for those earning $100,000 to $200,000, but only 55.4% of these returns resulted in a refund.
For incomes above $200,000, the average refund surged to $15,350, according to Upgraded Points. Yet just 35% of returns received a refund, and nearly one-third of filers with overpayments opted to apply their credit to the following year’s taxes instead.
The following five states have the highest average refund amounts, based on the latest IRS data:
1. Florida: The state reported the highest average refund in the country at $3,852. Out of more than 11.1 million federal tax returns filed, about 7.5 million (67%) resulted in a refund.
2. Texas: In Texas, the average refund stood at $3,774, slightly below Florida. The state had the second-largest overall filing volume of any state, with 13.6 million returns filed and more than 9.7 million (71%) receiving a refund.
3. Wyoming: Despite its smaller population, Wyoming recorded an average refund of $3,720. Of the 280,750 returns filed, about 190,000 (68%) received a refund.
4. Nevada: Nevada had an average refund of $3,643, with 1.08 million refunds issued out of 1.6 million total returns—an overall refund rate of roughly 70%.
5. Louisiana: Louisiana reported an average refund of $3,577, with 1.4 million refunds issued across nearly 2 million returns, reflecting a 73% refund rate—the third highest of all states.
Below is a full breakdown of average tax refund amounts—both overall and by income group—across every state based on Upgraded Points’ analysis:
| Rank | State | Average Refund Amount (Overall) | Average Refund Amount (<$50k) | Average Refund Amount ($50–$100k) | Average Refund Amount ($100k–$200k) | Average Refund Amount ($200k+) | Share of Returns With Refunds | Share of Refunds Issued via Direct Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | $3,852 | $2,654 | $3,075 | $4,822 | $25,430 | 67.1% | 91.6% |
| 2 | Texas | $3,774 | $2,858 | $3,153 | $4,660 | $17,806 | 71.3% | 92.4% |
| 3 | Wyoming | $3,720 | $2,092 | $2,893 | $4,373 | $38,247 | 67.8% | 89.5% |
| 4 | Nevada | $3,643 | $2,520 | $2,896 | $4,539 | $25,381 | 69.6% | 91.0% |
| 5 | Louisiana | $3,577 | $3,141 | $3,027 | $4,483 | $15,319 | 73.0% | 91.4% |
| 6 | Georgia | $3,574 | $3,063 | $2,984 | $4,112 | $14,258 | 68.6% | 92.0% |
| 7 | Mississippi | $3,491 | $3,149 | $2,975 | $4,131 | $20,039 | 74.0% | 91.4% |
| 8 | Illinois | $3,394 | $2,498 | $2,840 | $4,118 | $14,709 | 69.6% | 91.6% |
| 9 | Connecticut | $3,362 | $2,092 | $2,717 | $4,169 | $15,254 | 67.0% | 89.6% |
| 10 | Alabama | $3,357 | $2,976 | $2,893 | $3,959 | $14,557 | 70.9% | 91.3% |
| 11 | California | $3,344 | $2,259 | $2,726 | $4,330 | $14,017 | 62.7% | 88.7% |
| 12 | New York | $3,339 | $2,334 | $2,710 | $4,058 | $17,153 | 66.5% | 89.8% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $3,327 | $1,968 | $2,585 | $4,064 | $14,691 | 65.6% | 86.2% |
| 14 | New Jersey | $3,317 | $2,251 | $2,797 | $4,136 | $11,774 | 65.7% | 87.6% |
| 15 | Washington | $3,310 | $2,073 | $2,679 | $4,076 | $13,072 | 66.4% | 90.8% |
| 16 | Maryland | $3,242 | $2,294 | $2,783 | $4,060 | $11,407 | 65.7% | 90.0% |
| 17 | Arkansas | $3,224 | $2,715 | $2,913 | $4,203 | $15,199 | 71.3% | 90.7% |
| 18 | Virginia | $3,217 | $2,242 | $2,707 | $3,989 | $12,515 | 66.9% | 92.2% |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $3,213 | $2,554 | $2,976 | $4,256 | $16,850 | 69.7% | 94.2% |
| 20 | Utah | $3,210 | $1,892 | $2,766 | $4,268 | $18,817 | 67.1% | 92.0% |
| 21 | Alaska | $3,206 | $2,220 | $2,934 | $4,153 | $12,508 | 62.5% | 91.3% |
| 22 | Tennessee | $3,192 | $2,508 | $2,779 | $4,057 | $16,490 | 70.9% | 92.7% |
| 23 | Arizona | $3,179 | $2,380 | $2,679 | $4,308 | $15,322 | 66.4% | 91.8% |
| 24 | Colorado | $3,142 | $1,903 | $2,461 | $4,078 | $15,130 | 63.7% | 90.9% |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $3,091 | $1,765 | $2,616 | $4,076 | $14,145 | 68.4% | 87.7% |
| 26 | North Carolina | $3,077 | $2,428 | $2,710 | $3,935 | $13,257 | 67.9% | 89.3% |
| 27 | North Dakota | $3,063 | $2,048 | $2,713 | $3,994 | $17,501 | 66.4% | 89.5% |
| 28 | Delaware | $3,048 | $2,330 | $2,759 | $4,060 | $10,817 | 68.9% | 89.4% |
| 29 | Michigan | $3,047 | $2,289 | $2,713 | $4,191 | $14,095 | 69.9% | 89.3% |
| 30 | Idaho | $3,040 | $2,042 | $2,752 | $4,131 | $18,880 | 65.8% | 88.5% |
| 31 | Indiana | $3,028 | $2,290 | $2,863 | $4,078 | $14,738 | 72.8% | 90.7% |
| 32 | South Carolina | $3,020 | $2,435 | $2,643 | $3,929 | $14,945 | 66.7% | 91.4% |
| 33 | Hawaii | $3,011 | $2,138 | $2,743 | $4,305 | $14,016 | 64.6% | 86.0% |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $3,011 | $2,203 | $2,737 | $4,062 | $12,560 | 71.0% | 87.4% |
| 35 | South Dakota | $3,004 | $2,097 | $2,794 | $4,075 | $18,105 | 67.1% | 90.1% |
| 36 | Kansas | $3,000 | $2,162 | $2,779 | $4,054 | $14,584 | 68.0% | 89.7% |
| 37 | Missouri | $2,991 | $2,326 | $2,758 | $4,014 | $13,370 | 69.6% | 89.3% |
| 38 | Nebraska | $2,935 | $2,081 | $2,698 | $3,828 | $16,792 | 67.4% | 92.0% |
| 39 | Iowa | $2,924 | $2,154 | $2,739 | $3,918 | $13,570 | 68.8% | 90.3% |
| 40 | Kentucky | $2,922 | $2,381 | $2,822 | $3,992 | $13,237 | 73.0% | 89.9% |
| 41 | New Mexico | $2,912 | $2,380 | $2,792 | $4,260 | $12,822 | 68.5% | 92.2% |
| 42 | Ohio | $2,874 | $2,250 | $2,600 | $3,914 | $13,714 | 71.6% | 90.5% |
| 43 | Rhode Island | $2,871 | $2,058 | $2,628 | $4,011 | $12,995 | 69.5% | 88.4% |
| 44 | Montana | $2,870 | $1,919 | $2,617 | $4,089 | $19,677 | 63.9% | 87.1% |
| 45 | Minnesota | $2,838 | $1,937 | $2,459 | $3,695 | $12,397 | 65.8% | 89.7% |
| 46 | West Virginia | $2,834 | $2,256 | $2,914 | $4,138 | $12,339 | 75.4% | 89.8% |
| 47 | Vermont | $2,816 | $1,820 | $2,616 | $4,179 | $15,012 | 67.1% | 85.4% |
| 48 | Oregon | $2,772 | $1,879 | $2,461 | $3,917 | $12,791 | 64.5% | 88.7% |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $2,737 | $1,967 | $2,491 | $3,726 | $13,150 | 68.1% | 88.2% |
| 50 | Maine | $2,656 | $1,836 | $2,481 | $3,942 | $14,286 | 67.5% | 87.1% |
The report also includes tax refund data for every county in the U.S.
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Tags: Income Taxes, IRS, tax refunds, Taxes
