Palins appear worth at least $1.2 million; federal paperwork not yet released

WASILLA, Alaska — Sarah Palin and her husband have pieced together a uniquely Alaskan income that reached six figures even before she became governor, capitalizing on valuable fishing rights, a series of land deals and a patchwork of other ventures.

Add up the couple's 2007 income and the estimated value of their property and investments, and they appear to be worth at least $1.2 million. That would make the Palins, like Democratic vice-presidential rival Joseph Biden and his wife, Jill, well-off but not nearly as wealthy as multimillionaire couples John and Cindy McCain and, to a lesser extent, Barack and Michelle Obama.

While there is a home loan, Palin reported no personal credit-card debt on her most recent financial report as Alaska governor.

A more complete picture will come when she outlines her personal finances in federal paperwork in coming days.

The Palins' total income last year was split almost evenly between Sarah Palin's job and her husband's work. Sarah Palin's salary as governor was $125,000; Todd Palin took in $46,790 as a part-time oil production operator for BP Alaska in Prudhoe Bay, plus $46,265 in commercial-fishing income and $10,500 in Iron Dog snowmachine-race winnings. These figures do not include nearly $17,000 in per-diem payments Palin received for 312 nights spent in her own home since she was elected governor; she also has received $43,490 to cover travel costs for her husband and children.

The Palins' assets include a nearly 3,500-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath home on Lake Lucille, assessed at $552,000; two vacation retreats; commercial-fishing rights worth an estimated $50,000 or more; and an income last year of at least $230,000.