Judy Diamond Associates’ latest analysis of participation levels for workers with access to DC plans reveals significant differences among the states.

What does it mean that in Delaware, the state with the highest rate of participation, 85.8 percent of workers with access to plans are contributing, whereas in Nevada, where the lowest percentage of workers are enrolled in a plan, only 53 percent contribute?

“Our research shows that employers in some states seem to be encouraging participation more effectively than others,” said Eric Ryles, managing director of Judy Diamond Associates, a division of Summit Professional Networks, BenefitPro’s parent company.

To be clear, Ryles said the point of the study is not to speculate on the reasons why 19 states’ participation rates fall below the national average of 71.6 percent. What the data does do is highlight the challenge facing RIAs, plan sponsors, and anyone else interested in improving the country’s retirement prospects.

“The single biggest way an employer can help workers save for retirement is to ensure that they are actually participating in their plans,” said Ryles. “The best plan in the world is useless until a participant actually begins to contribute and build an account balance.”

Here is a look at the 10 states with the best participation rates – and a look at those states where the numbers aren’t quite so good.

1. Delaware

Participation rate: 85.8 percent

Fewer than 1 million people live in the second-smallest state in the country. Delaware is pretty wealthy area of the country, with a median household income of more than $50,000. A study by Phoenix Marketing showed Delaware has the ninth-most millionaires per capita.

2. Connecticut

Participation rate: 83.1 percent

Median household income is $68,595 in Connecticut, the third-highest in the country. But there is notable disparity between the haves and the have-nots in the Nutmeg State, which had an unemployment rate of 7 percent earlier this year.

3. Iowa

Participation Rate: 80.5 percent

Median household income is about $48,000 — right around the country’s average. Manufacturing accounts for more than 20 percent of Iowa’s income. Aside from agriculture, it also has a strong financial services and insurance sector, with more than 6,000 firms based in the state.

4. New York

Participation rate: 80 percent

The third-most populous state is the biggest in Judy Diamond’s top 10 list. It’s the third-largest economy in the country, behind California and Texas.

5. Washington D.C.

Participation rate: 78.6 percent

The nation’s capital is the 23^rd largest city in the country, thought its economy is bigger than 16 states.

6. Arkansas

Participation rate: 77.5 percent

The second-lowest median income in the country, though six Fortune 500 companies are base there, most notably Walmart. Arkansas is considered to be an affordable place to live and do business.

7. Wisconsin

Participation rate: 77.2 percent

Walmart also is the biggest employer in the Badger State, which has a median household income of $47,220. Manufacturing accounts for 20 percent of the state’s revenue, the third-highest proportion in the country.

8. North Dakota

Participation rate: 77 percent

One of the least-populous states in the country, North Dakota is the fastest-growing state in the U.S. when measured by GDP, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Benefiting greatly from the energy boom, North Dakota has added 56,600 private-sector jobs since 2011. The state recorded the highest personal-income growth in the country in 2013, the sixth time it has done so since 2007.

9. Hawaii

Participation rate: 77 percent

In another instance of a smaller state having above-average participation rates, Hawaii counts on tourism for a quarter of its revenue. Retirees and pre-retirees on the islands tend to have a lot of their wealth in their homes. The average sale price of home in 2010 was $607,600, the highest in the country. Median sale price of homes in the U.S. was $173,200.

10. Vermont

Participation rate: 76.6 percent

Vermont’s participation rate is better than the nationwide average of 71.5 percent, while the state has the lowest gross state product in the country, proving that you don’t have come from a rich state to take advantage of your company’s 401(k) plan.

Judy Diamond’s analysis showed that 19 states fell below the national average of 71.5 percent, including big states like California (67.7 percent) and Texas (70.1 percent), small states like Rhode Island (69.1 percent), and wealthy states, in terms of personal per capita income, like Massachusetts (71.3 percent).

Here are the five states with the lowest participation rates, starting with the worst:

1. Maryland, 63.8 percent
2. Utah, 63.4 percent
3. Oklahoma, 63 percent
4. Florida, 57 percent
5. Nevada, 53 percent

Instant Insights /

Top 10 states with the best 401(k) participation rates

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