Virginia is home to the country’s wealthiest county (Loudoun, VA) but also the biggest in-state wealth disparity between its wealthiest and poorest counties.
We’ve taken a deep dive into the poorest and wealthiest counties in the U.S., looking closely at each state’s median income on the county level, and the data is pretty surprising.
The Wealthiest and Poorest Counties in Every U.S. State infographicThe Wealthiest and Poorest County in Every U.S. State Transcript
Based on Median Household Income
| State | County + Largest City |
| Alabama >Overall median income: $46,300 |
Highest: Shelby $74,200 Birmingham >Lowest: Wilcox $24,200 Camden |
| Alaska >Overall median income: $76,100 |
Highest: Anchorage $84,000 Anchorage >Lowest: Kusilvak $34,300 Hooper Bay |
| Arizona >Overall median income: $53,500 |
Highest: Greenlee $61,100 Clifton >Lowest: Apache $34,000 Eager |
| Arkansas >Overall median income: $44,400 |
Highest: Benton $64,100 Rogers >Lowest: Lee $26,900 Marianna |
| California >Overall median income: $67,700 |
Highest: Santa Clara $110,800 San Jose >Lowest: Trinity $38,700 Weaverville |
| Colorado >Overall median income: $65,700 |
Highest: Douglas $112,400 Castle Rock >Lowest: Costilla $27,200 San Luis |
| Connecticut >Overall median income: $73,400 |
Highest: Fairfield $90,000 Bridgeport >Lowest: Windham $60,900 Windham |
| Delaware >Overall median income: $62,100 |
Highest: New Castle $67,200 Wilmington >Lowest: Kent $54,000 Dover |
| Florida >Overall median income: $50,900 |
Highest: St. Johns $78,500 St. Augustine >Lowest: Levy $33,100 Williston |
| Georgia >Overall median income: $53,500 |
Highest: Forsyth $101,800 Cumming >Lowest: Stewart $24,900 Richland |
| Hawaii >Overall median income: $74,700 |
Highest: Honolulu $80,000 Honolulu >Lowest: Hawai’i $54,700 Hilo |
| Idaho >Overall median income: $51,600 |
Highest: Blaine $66,200 Hailey >Lowest: Owyhee $35,900 Homedale |
| Illinois >Overall median income: $61,000 |
Highest: Kendall $92,000 Oswego >Lowest: Alexander $33,300 Cairo |
| Indiana >Overall median income: $52,300 |
Highest: Hamilton $92,400 Carmel >Lowest: Grant $40,200 Marion |
| Iowa >Overall median income: $56,400 |
Highest: Dallas $82,100 Waukee >Lowest: Decatur $36,800 Lamoni |
| Kansas >Overall median income: $54,800 |
Highest: Johnson $80,900 Overland Park >Lowest: Woodson $35,400 Yates Center |
| Kentucky >Overall median income: $46,600 |
Highest: Oldham $92,500 La Grange >Lowest: Owsley $23,100 Booneville |
| Lousiana >Overall median income: $45,400 |
Highest: Ascension $74,200 Gonzales >Lowest: East Carroll $25,800 Lake Providence |
| Maine >Overall median income: $52,900 |
Highest: Cumberland $65,500 Portland >Lowest: Piscataquis $35,900 Dover-Foxcroft |
| Maryland >Overall median income: $78,800 |
Highest: Howard $119,400 Columbia >Lowest: Somerset $38,500 Princess Anne |
| Massachusetts >Overall median income: $75,200 |
Highest: Middlesex $95,000 Lowell >Lowest: Hampden $51,600 Springfield |
| Michigan >Overall median income: $52,400 |
Highest: Livingston $79,400 Howell >Lowest: Lake $33,700 Baldwin |
| Minnesota >Overall median income: $65,600 |
Highest: Carver $94,100 Chaska >Lowest: Wadena $41,000 Wadena |
| Mississippi >Overall median income: $41,800 |
Highest: Madison $65,900 Ridgeland >Lowest: Holmes $22,000 Lexington |
| Missouri >Overall median income: $51,700 |
Highest: St. Charles $80,700 St. Charles >Lowest: Shannon $29,500 Durant |
| Montana >Overall median income: $50,300 |
Highest: Richland $65,300 Sidney >Lowest: Blaine $36,900 Chinook |
| Nebraska >Overall median income: $57,000 |
Highest: Sarpy $74,400 Bellevue >Lowest: Garden $38,700 Oshkosh |
| Nevada >Overall median income: $55,200 |
Highest: Lander $71,800 Battle Mountain >Lowest: Mineral $41,900 Hawthorne |
| New Hampshire >Overall median income: $71,000 |
Highest: Rockingham $82,000 Derry >Lowest: Coos $45,100 Berlin |
| New Jersey >Overall median income: $76,200 |
Highest: Hunterdon $113,300 Raritan Township >Lowest: Cumberland $48,900 Vineland |
| New Mexico >Overall median income: $46,800 |
Highest: Los Alamos $114,700 Los Alamos >Lowest: Luna $28,200 Deming |
| New York >Overall median income: $62,700 |
Highest: Nassau $105,500 Hempstead >Lowest: Bronx $37,400 N/A |
| North Carolina >Overall median income: $50,600 |
Highest: Wake $76,200 Raleigh >Lowest: Halifax $33,000 Roanoke Rapids |
| North Dakota >Overall median income: $61,900 |
Highest: Williams $81,700 Williston >Lowest: Sioux $33,600 Cannon Ball |
| Ohio >Overall median income: $52,400 |
Highest: Delaware $103,000 Delaware >Lowest: Athens $38,100 Athens |
| Oklahoma Overall median income: $49,200 |
Highest: Canadian $68,300 Oklahoma City >Lowest: Choctaw $32,500 Hugo |
| Oregon >Overall median income: $57,400 |
Highest: Washington $75,600 Hillsboro >Lowest: Wheeler $35,300 |
| Pennsylvania >Overall median income: $56,900 |
Highest: Chester $92,600 Coatesville >Lowest: Forest $38,800 Marienville |
| Rhode Island >Overall median income: $60,000 |
Highest: Washington $77,000 South Kingstown >Lowest: Providence $52,000 Providence |
| South Carolina >Overall median income: $49,600 |
Highest: Beaufort $65,400 Hilton Head Island >Lowest: Allendale $26,900 Allendale |
| South Dakota >Overall median income: 54,900 |
Highest: Lincoln $84,600 Harrisburg >Lowest: Buffalo $22,500 Fort Thompson |
| Tennessee >Overall median income: $48,500 |
Highest: Williamson $107,900 Franklin >Lowest: Hancock $28,200 Sneedville |
| Texas >Overall median income: $56,600 |
Highest: Rockwall $97,500 Dallas >Lowest: Zavala $25,500 Crystal City |
| Utah >Overall median income: $65,900 |
Highest: Summit $94,500 Park City >Lowest: Piute $39,700 |
| Vermont >Overall median income: $57,700 |
Highest: Chittenden $67,800 Burlington >Lowest: Essex $40,800 Lunenburg |
| Virginia >Overall median income: $68,100 |
Highest: Loudoun $134,600 Leesburg >Lowest: Buchanan $31,800 Grundy |
| Washington >Overall median income: $67,100 |
Highest: King $85,900 Seattle >Lowest: Ferry $40,600 Republic |
| West Virginia >Overall median income: $43,200 |
Highest: Jefferson $71,300 Charles Town >Lowest: McDowell $24,500 Welch |
| Wisconsin >Overall median income: 56,800 |
Highest: Ozaukee $85,700 Mequon >Lowest: Menominee $36,600 Menominee |
| Wyoming >Overall median income: $61,700 |
Highest: Teton $84,100 Jackson >Lowest: Niobrara $45,300 Lusk |
Top 10 States With the Greatest Disparity Between Counties
| State + Counties + Median |
| Virginia >Highest: Loudoun $134,600 >Lowest: Buchanan $31,800 >Range: $102,800 |
| New Mexico >Highest: Los Alamos $114,700 >Lowest: Luna $28,200 >Range: $86,500 |
| Colorado >Highest: Douglas $112,400 >Lowest: Costilla $27,200 >Range: $85,200 |
| Maryland >Highest: Howard $119,400 >Lowest: Somerset $38,500 >Range: $80,900 |
| Tennessee >Highest: Williamson $107,900 >Lowest: Hancock $28,200 >Range: $79,700 |
| Georgia >Highest: Forsyth $101,800 >Lowest: Stewart $24,900 >Range: $76,900 |
| California >Highest: Santa Clara $110,800 >Lowest: Trinity $38,700 >Range: $72,100 |
| Texas >Highest: Rockwall $97,500 >Lowest: Zavala $25,500 >Range: $72,000 |
| Kentucky >Highest: Oldham $92,500 >Lowest: Owsley $23,100 >Range: $69,400 |
| New York >Highest: Nassau $105,500 >Lowest: Bronx $37,400 >Range: $68,100 |
Sources:
Loudoun, VA, at $134,600 in median household income, is more than $100,000 above the median household income of the state’s poorest county, Buchanan, VA, at $31,800. The West Virginian counties of McDowell (poorest) and Jefferson (richest) border these two Virginia counties, meaning that within a few hours’ drive, you have a huge area that’s more than double the national median household income ($59,039) and an area that’s well below it.
The state with the highest median household income is also home to the second-richest county (Howard County, MA).
But Massachusetts is also ranked fourth for the state with the biggest disparity between the poorest and richest county.
The states with the most disparity between the poorest and richest counties in the U.S. are Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado, Maryland, and Tennessee, all of which have a gap of about $80,000 or more in median household income.
As you scan these charts, you might notice that the higher the state median household income and highest county income are, the more wealth disparity there is. This is certainly the case for Maryland, which has a huge gap, but there are exceptions. For instance, Kentucky has a low median for the state and has a massive amount of disparity. Then, there’s Alaska, which has a very high income for the whole state ($76,100) and a fairly low disparity (a gap of only about $49,700).
Here are the wealthiest and poorest counties in the U.S., according to the American Community Survey (ACS) from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Top 10 Wealthiest Counties in the U.S. by Median Household Income
- Loudon County, VA
- Howard County, MA
- Fairfax County, VA
- Hunterdon County, NJ
- Santa Clara County, CA
- Arlington County, VA
- Douglas County, CO
- San Mateo County, CA
- Morris County, NJ
- Williamson County, TN
The Top 10 Poorest Counties in the U.S. by Median Household Income
- Holmes County, MS
- Buffalo County, SD
- Owsley County, KY
- Wilcox County, AL
- McDowell County, WV
- Clay County, KY
- Stewart County, GA
- McCreary County, KY
- Perry County, AL
- Harlan County, KY
Naturally, some of the wealthiest counties in America are all packed into one state; Virginia and California show up on the top 10 list multiple times. Kentucky is on the list of poorest counties multiple times as well.
Ask yourself, “What is the poorest county in my state?” and see how it compares to the richest counties in the country. Our deep look at wealth disparity by state can help us see which communities are being left behind on the road to progress and which local governments need to find new ways to help the state as a whole.