Census releases depressing income data, Maryland and New Jersey on top

The U.S. Census Bureau put out its annual snapshot of America today, with new measures of household income data and a trove of other demographic goodies.

Maryland was the state with the highest median household income ($70,545) in 2008, closely followed by New Jersey and Connecticut. The latter two make a lot of sense, with investment bankers and hedge fund managers in the New York City area making a killing in the pre-financial crisis months. But why Maryland, whose anchor city, Baltimore, is a poster child for post-industrial decline?