Ranking states by NBA player earnings: From Rhode Island to California

California is easily the most populous state in the country, so you would think it only makes sense that it’s also the one producing the most pro basketball players and thus the one getting more NBA salary revenue. Since 1990, which is as far as our salary data goes back, California-born players have made a combined $8.582 billion in NBA salaries, more than New Yorkers (No. 2 in the salary ranking) and Texans (No. 3) together.

So it’s not just that California is heavily populated; it also has a pretty nice per capita presence in the league.

Below, we have ranked states from least NBA players’ earnings to most. As you will see, California is not the only one punching above its demographic weight.