There are 3,144 counties and county-equivalents in the United States. The source of the data is the U.S. Census Bureau and the data is current as of the indicated year. Independent cities are considered county-equivalent by the Census Bureau.
Summary
Before the American Civil War, the wealthiest counties were primarily located in Louisiana and Mississippi.
The Loudoun County, Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. is the highest-income county by median household income. Another Washington suburb, Arlington County, Virginia, ranks as the highest-income county by median family income.
Many of the top counties in the following lists are found in the Northeast Megalopolis, particularly in the Washington metropolitan area and the New York metropolitan area.
Median household income
American Community Survey
Presented below are the 25 wealthiest counties (with populations of 65,000 or greater) in the United States by median household income according to the 2012 American Community Survey prepared by the US Census Bureau. Six of the counties are located in the state of Maryland, five are in Virginia, four in New Jersey, three in New York, two in California, and one each in: Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas.
2010 Census
2000 Census
Source: US Census Bureau: 2000 Census
Number of counties by state in the top 100: Virginia 10 plus 5 independent cities, Maryland 9, California 8, New Jersey 8, Georgia 7, Colorado 6, Illinois 6, Minnesota 5, New York 5, Texas 5, Alaska 3, Connecticut 3, Ohio 3, Pennsylvania 3, Wisconsin 2, Massachusetts 2, Michigan 2, Indiana 1, Kansas 1, Kentucky 1, Missouri 1, New Hampshire 1, New Mexico 1, Tennessee 1, Utah 1. Twenty-five states do not have any counties in the top 100.
United States of America: $41,994
Per capita income
2010 Census
2000 Census
Number of counties by state in the top 100: Colorado 10, Virginia 7 counties plus 3 independent cities, New Jersey 9, California 8, Florida 6, New York 6, Georgia 4, Maryland 4, Minnesota 4, Connecticut 3, Massachusetts 3, Michigan 3, Pennsylvania 3, Texas 3, Illinois 2, North Carolina 2, Ohio 2, Washington 2, Wisconsin 2, Idaho 1, Alaska 1, Alabama 1, District of Columbia 1, Indiana 1, Kansas 1, Missouri 1, Nevada 1, New Hampshire 1, New Mexico 1, Rhode Island 1, Tennessee 1, Utah 1, Wyoming 1. Eighteen states do not have any counties in the top 100. United States of America per capita average: $21,587
Highest-income counties and places by state
For more detailed lists of rankings of counties and places in the individual states, see the following pages:
See also
- List of lowest-income counties in the United States
Notes and references
