Credit Karma studied metrics on median household income, mean household income and rates of poverty, among other factors, and scored each county to compile a list of the richest and poorest counties in the United States overall, as well as in each state in the country. (Click here for the full methodology.)
The richest counties in the U.S. tended to be focused in the greater Washington, D.C., area; San Francisco Bay area; and greater New York City area.
The five richest counties in the U.S. (No. 1 being richest), based on our combination of factors, are:
- Falls Church, Virginia
- Loudoun County, Virginia
- San Mateo County, California
- Santa Clara County, California
- Marin County, California
And the five poorest counties in the U.S. (No. 1 being poorest):
- Todd County, South Dakota
- East Carroll Parish, Louisiana
- Jackson County, South Dakota
- Presidio County, Texas
- Mellette County, South Dakota
Read on for a deeper breakdown of the factors considered in our rankings and more details about these counties.
Main findings on the richest and poorest counties in the U.S.
Our list of the richest and poorest counties in the U.S. isn’t ranked purely by highest to lowest median household income. Instead, our scoring and ranking considers median household income, mean household income, and the percentage of the population living below the poverty line. This approach results in more meaningful findings.
For example, our study shows gaps between the median household income and the mean household income in the richest counties — shedding light on the wider range of incomes in each. In general, the mean (or average) household income tends to be higher than the median household income because high-income households pull the average income upward. That’s the case for Fairfield County, the 25th-richest county in Connecticut, which has a median household income of $97,539 versus a mean household income of $157,765. This is due in part to the fact that 22.2% of households in Fairfield County earn $200,000 or more.
The poorest counties tend to be clustered in the South and Midwest, with high levels of income inequality as measured by the Gini index of income inequality. The Gini index ranges from zero, which is equivalent to perfect income equality — to one, equivalent to perfect income inequality. The Gini index for the U.S. overall is 0.4817.
Of note: Seven of the 10 poorest counties in the U.S. have Gini indexes that are higher than the U.S. overall, meaning they have income inequality that’s greater than the nation as a whole.
Finally, in Virginia, “independent cities” are classified as counties. This is why, for example, a city (Falls Church, Virginia) ranks as the No. 1 richest county in the U.S.
From the Editors
Historical racism and poverty in “poorest” counties
Data on income and poverty across the U.S. speaks for itself in many ways. But statistics alone don’t explain the extent and persistence of poverty in certain areas. While we can’t adequately address the complexities of that context here, we note that both government and academic researchers have established a link between historical racism and areas where poverty tends to be more enduring — mainly in the South and Midwest.
With that in mind, it’s significant that three of the five poorest counties in our study are in South Dakota and home to large American Indian reservations. These comprise populations whose roots of systemic isolation date back to the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and earlier, when American Indians were forced to leave their ancestral land and livelihood. Another county among the five poorest, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, has a well-documented history of concentrated slavery and of disenfranchisement perpetuated by segregation and Jim Crow laws.
While not among the five poorest counties, Wolfe County, Kentucky, has the lowest mean and median incomes in the nation along with a significant 36.1% poverty rate, according to our study, yet it’s predominantly white. Some conclude that such circumstances among the poorest white populations in the South have their own complicated foundations in the legacy of slavery.
To begin a deeper dive, check out the U.S. Treasury’s blog post on the origins and persistence of racial inequality, which provides more detail on this topic and includes linked references to other research.
Richest counties in the U.S.
Among the 20 richest counties in the U.S., four are in Virginia, four are in California and three are in New Jersey. In all of the 20 richest counties, at least 20% of households have incomes of $200,000 or more. In the four richest counties, more than 30% of households have incomes of $200,000 or more.
This table ranks the 20 richest counties and some of the factors considered in their rankings (the lower the score, the higher the ranking among the richest counties):
Richest counties in the U.S. by median and mean income and poverty rate
| Rank | County | State | Score | Median household income | Mean household income | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falls Church city | Virginia | 0.0355 | $146,922 | $183,898 | 2.0% |
| 2 | Loudoun County | Virginia | 0.1165 | $147,111 | $174,594 | 3.2% |
| 3 | San Mateo County | California | 0.2693 | $128,091 | $182,158 | 6.2% |
| 4 | Santa Clara County | California | 0.3162 | $130,890 | $174,331 | 7.2% |
| 5 | Marin County | California | 0.3354 | $121,671 | $181,737 | 6.9% |
| 6 | Fairfax County | Virginia | 0.3936 | $127,866 | $163,072 | 5.9% |
| 7 | Howard County | Maryland | 0.4789 | $124,042 | $152,857 | 5.1% |
| 8 | Nassau County | New York | 0.4805 | $120,036 | $158,190 | 5.4% |
| 9 | Arlington County | Virginia | 0.4852 | $122,604 | $156,941 | 6.4% |
| 10 | Douglas County | Colorado | 0.4964 | $121,393 | $148,591 | 3.2% |
| 11 | Hunterdon County | New Jersey | 0.5017 | $117,858 | $153,810 | 3.9% |
| 12 | San Francisco County | California | 0.5041 | $119,136 | $167,663 | 10.1% |
| 13 | Morris County | New Jersey | 0.5058 | $117,298 | $156,161 | 4.8% |
| 14 | Somerset County | New Jersey | 0.5089 | $116,510 | $157,405 | 5.1% |
| 15 | Nantucket County | Massachusetts | 0.5460 | $112,306 | $159,936 | 6.3% |
| 16 | Summit County | Utah | 0.5605 | $106,973 | $159,593 | 4.5% |
| 17 | Los Alamos County | New Mexico | 0.5692 | $119,266 | $142,293 | 4.0% |
| 18 | Williamson County | Tennessee | 0.6005 | $111,196 | $149,051 | 4.7% |
| 19 | Montgomery County | Maryland | 0.6029 | $111,812 | $152,779 | 6.6% |
| 20 | Forsyth County | Georgia | 0.6858 | $112,834 | $135,597 | 5.2% |
Note: Falls Church city is an independent city, meaning that Virginia considers it to be on the same level as a county.
While most of the 20 richest counties have comparatively low rates of poverty, there are some outliers. The No. 12 richest county, San Francisco County, has a poverty rate of 10.1%. That’s the highest poverty rate among the top 20 richest counties and not far off from the poverty rate for the U.S. overall, 12.8%. It’s therefore understandable that the Gini index of income inequality in San Francisco County is 0.5079, higher than the national Gini index of 0.4817.
Loudoun County, Virginia, has the highest median household income, at $147,111. But it ranks just behind Falls Church (which has a slightly lower median household income) because Falls Church has a higher mean household income and lower poverty rate.
Poorest counties in the U.S.
Among the top 20 poorest counties in the U.S., five are in South Dakota, four are in Kentucky, and three are in Texas. All but three of the top 20 poorest counties have median household incomes of less than $30,000.
While the top 20 richest counties have large gaps between their median and mean household incomes, the gap is much smaller among the poorest counties. For example, in Buffalo County, South Dakota, the difference is only $4,622.
Below is a table that shows the top 20 poorest counties and some of the factors considered in their ranking (the higher the score, the higher the ranking among the poorest counties):
Poorest counties by median and mean income and poverty rate
| Rank | County | State | Score | Median household income | Mean household income | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Todd County | South Dakota | 2.9746 | $24,102 | $35,962 | 58.9% |
| 2 | East Carroll Parish | Louisiana | 2.7163 | $24,551 | $53,231 | 50.7% |
| 3 | Jackson County | South Dakota | 2.6660 | $24,549 | $38,920 | 42.1% |
| 4 | Presidio County | Texas | 2.6544 | $22,716 | $37,266 | 39.9% |
| 5 | Mellette County | South Dakota | 2.6433 | $33,882 | $45,355 | 47.7% |
| 6 | Brooks County | Texas | 2.6405 | $25,058 | $37,307 | 40.2% |
| 7 | Holmes County | Mississippi | 2.6322 | $24,074 | $39,728 | 40.2% |
| 8 | Wolfe County | Kentucky | 2.6129 | $22,292 | $34,331 | 36.1% |
| 9 | Oglala Lakota County | South Dakota | 2.6022 | $31,423 | $47,080 | 44.8% |
| 10 | Perry County | Alabama | 2.5948 | $23,875 | $35,146 | 36.1% |
| 11 | Dimmit County | Texas | 2.5940 | $25,996 | $49,232 | 42.6% |
| 12 | Greene County | Alabama | 2.5567 | $26,688 | $38,224 | 36.4% |
| 13 | Jenkins County | Georgia | 2.5470 | $25,712 | $36,020 | 34.5% |
| 14 | Quitman County | Mississippi | 2.5390 | $24,233 | $37,474 | 33.9% |
| 15 | Claiborne Parish | Louisiana | 2.5294 | $26,849 | $38,820 | 35.1% |
| 16 | McDowell County | West Virginia | 2.5108 | $26,072 | $36,690 | 32.8% |
| 17 | Clay County | Kentucky | 2.5035 | $27,479 | $41,426 | 34.9% |
| 18 | Buffalo County | South Dakota | 2.4961 | $35,000 | $39,622 | 37.3% |
| 19 | Lee County | Kentucky | 2.4848 | $24,699 | $40,699 | 32.2% |
| 20 | Harlan County | Kentucky | 2.4784 | $28,261 | $42,469 | 34.2% |
An important pattern to note among the 20 poorest counties in the study is the number of counties with higher rates of income inequality than the U.S. rate of income inequality. Out of the 20 poorest counties, 12 of them have Gini indexes greater than the U.S. overall index of 0.4817.
The number of people living below the poverty line in these counties is also striking. In Todd County, South Dakota, the percentage of the population living below the poverty line is 58.9%. In East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, the poverty rate is 50.7%.
The county with both the lowest median household income and lowest mean household income is Wolfe County, Kentucky. But Wolfe County’s poverty rate of 36.1% is lower than many of the other 20 poorest counties — the reason it didn’t rank as the No. 1 poorest county in the U.S.
Richest counties by state
Some of the richest counties by state also made the list of the top 20 richest counties in the U.S. overall.
This table shows the richest county in each state based on the combined factors of median household income, mean household income and poverty rate:
List of states and the richest county in each
| State | County | Median household income | Mean household income | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Shelby County | $78,889 | $103,042 | 6.9% |
| Alaska | Chugach Census Area | $90,776 | $97,097 | 5.2% |
| Arizona | Maricopa County | $67,799 | $93,108 | 12.7% |
| Arkansas | Benton County | $71,556 | $99,006 | 8.6% |
| California | San Mateo County | $128,091 | $182,158 | 6.2% |
| Colorado | Douglas County | $121,393 | $148,591 | 3.2% |
| Connecticut | Fairfield County | $97,539 | $157,765 | 8.9% |
| Delaware | New Castle County | $75,275 | $100,169 | 10.7% |
| Florida | St. Johns County | $83,803 | $116,071 | 7.7% |
| Georgia | Forsyth County | $112,834 | $135,597 | 5.2% |
| Hawaii | Honolulu County | $87,722 | $112,641 | 8.4% |
| Idaho | Teton County | $73,274 | $93,860 | 6.9% |
| Illinois | DuPage County | $94,930 | $125,900 | 6.2% |
| Indiana | Hamilton County | $98,880 | $130,748 | 4.4% |
| Iowa | Dallas County | $88,368 | $115,745 | 5.2% |
| Kansas | Johnson County | $91,650 | $121,756 | 4.9% |
| Kentucky | Oldham County | $103,761 | $135,839 | 4.8% |
| Louisiana | Ascension Parish | $82,594 | $98,298 | 10% |
| Maine | Cumberland County | $76,014 | $98,132 | 8.3% |
| Maryland | Howard County | $124,042 | $152,857 | 5.1% |
| Massachusetts | Nantucket County | $112,306 | $159,936 | 6.3% |
| Michigan | Livingston County | $84,274 | $104,974 | 5.3% |
| Minnesota | Carver County | $104,011 | $132,120 | 3.4% |
| Mississippi | Madison County | $71,621 | $105,379 | 10.6% |
| Missouri | St. Charles County | $87,644 | $106,564 | 4.8% |
| Montana | Jefferson County | $71,779 | $85,981 | 6.5% |
| Nebraska | Sarpy County | $83,051 | $99,497 | 5.6% |
| Nevada | Douglas County | $71,415 | $97,251 | 7.5% |
| New Hampshire | Rockingham County | $93,962 | $120,686 | 4.6% |
| New Jersey | Hunterdon County | $117,858 | $153,810 | 3.9% |
| New Mexico | Los Alamos County | $119,266 | $142,293 | 4% |
| New York | Nassau County | $120,036 | $158,190 | 5.4% |
| North Carolina | Union County | $82,557 | $111,939 | 7.4% |
| North Dakota | Dunn County | $82,750 | $111,059 | 6.7% |
| Ohio | Delaware County | $111,411 | $135,842 | 4.8% |
| Oklahoma | Canadian County | $73,591 | $87,141 | 7.4% |
| Oregon | Washington County | $86,626 | $107,802 | 8.5% |
| Pennsylvania | Chester County | $104,161 | $140,226 | 6.3% |
| Rhode Island | Bristol County | $85,413 | $122,714 | 7.1% |
| South Carolina | Beaufort County | $71,430 | $100,079 | 9.3% |
| South Dakota | Lincoln County | $84,260 | $106,930 | 5% |
| Tennessee | Williamson County | $111,196 | $149,051 | 4.7% |
| Texas | Rockwall County | $105,956 | $133,955 | 3.8% |
| Utah | Summit County | $106,973 | $159,593 | 4.5% |
| Vermont | Grand Isle County | $81,667 | $97,947 | 6.3% |
| Virginia | Falls Church city | $146,922 | $183,898 | 2% |
| Washington | King County | $99,158 | $134,708 | 8.4% |
| West Virginia | Jefferson County | $82,551 | $98,498 | 9.4% |
| Wisconsin | Waukesha County | $88,985 | $117,046 | 5% |
| Wyoming | Teton County | $87,053 | $141,605 | 6.5% |
Median household incomes range from $146,922 in Falls Church, Virginia, to $67,799 in Maricopa County, Arizona. The mean household incomes range from $183,898 in Falls Church, Virginia, to $85,981 in Jefferson County, Montana.
Poverty rates among the richest counties in every state also have a wide range. At the highest is the poverty rate in Maricopa County, Arizona, at 12.7%. At the lowest is Falls Church, Virginia, at 2%. That being said, Maricopa County is a massive, sprawling county that covers major population centers like Phoenix and Mesa as well as a massive rectangular area to the west and southwest of the Phoenix area.
Additionally, the levels of income inequality among the richest counties in each state have a wide range. Fairfield County, Connecticut, has the highest Gini index, at 0.5403 (versus 0.4817 for the U.S.). Fairfield County also has a massive gap between its median household income ($97,539) and its mean household income ($157,765) — $60,226. On the other end of the spectrum, the richest county in Alaska – Chugach Census Area – has a Gini index of 0.3680, which makes sense considering the difference between the median household income ($90,776) and mean household income ($97,097) is only $6,321.
Poorest counties by state
Among the poorest counties by state, the ranges of median household incomes, mean household incomes and poverty rates all vary significantly. For instance, the poorest county in Connecticut — Windham County — has a median household income of $67,365 versus the poorest county in Kentucky (Wolfe County), which has a median household income of $22,292.
This table shows the poorest county in each state based on the combined factors of median household income, mean household income and poverty rate:
List of states and the poorest county in each
| State | County | Median household income | Mean household income | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Perry County | $23,875 | $35,146 | 36.1% |
| Alaska | Kusilvak Census Area | $37,358 | $47,977 | 37.9% |
| Arizona | Apache County | $33,967 | $45,641 | 34.4% |
| Arkansas | Phillips County | $33,724 | $46,657 | 31.3% |
| California | Trinity County | $41,780 | $56,776 | 23.2% |
| Colorado | Costilla County | $34,732 | $47,906 | 26.6% |
| Connecticut | Windham County | $67,365 | $83,911 | 11.5% |
| Delaware | Kent County | $60,117 | $74,310 | 13.2% |
| Florida | Madison County | $35,240 | $50,347 | 29.8% |
| Georgia | Jenkins County | $25,712 | $36,020 | 34.5% |
| Hawaii | Hawaii County | $65,401 | $86,367 | 14% |
| Idaho | Madison County | $44,419 | $69,873 | 26.7% |
| Illinois | Alexander County | $34,709 | $49,526 | 26.9% |
| Indiana | Crawford County | $41,761 | $55,768 | 19.4% |
| Iowa | Appanoose County | $39,693 | $59,641 | 19.7% |
| Kansas | Chautauqua County | $39,500 | $53,208 | 19.6% |
| Kentucky | Wolfe County | $22,292 | $34,331 | 36.1% |
| Louisiana | East Carroll Parish | $24,551 | $53,231 | 50.7% |
| Maine | Piscataquis County | $42,083 | $55,993 | 17.3% |
| Maryland | Somerset County | $44,980 | $57,169 | 20% |
| Massachusetts | Hampden County | $57,623 | $79,369 | 15.7% |
| Michigan | Clare County | $41,163 | $54,973 | 22.7% |
| Minnesota | Mahnomen County | $45,398 | $58,727 | 21% |
| Mississippi | Holmes County | $24,074 | $39,728 | 40.2% |
| Missouri | Oregon County | $32,766 | $43,639 | 26.3% |
| Montana | Glacier County | $37,645 | $53,003 | 29.7% |
| Nebraska | Pawnee County | $46,063 | $55,787 | 20.2% |
| Nevada | Mineral County | $31,500 | $46,187 | 20.8% |
| New Hampshire | Coos County | $48,945 | $63,771 | 11.7% |
| New Jersey | Cumberland County | $55,709 | $79,965 | 16% |
| New Mexico | McKinley County | $36,179 | $51,712 | 35.2% |
| New York | Bronx County | $41,895 | $61,266 | 27% |
| North Carolina | Washington County | $30,941 | $48,901 | 27.3% |
| North Dakota | Sioux County | $41,893 | $63,511 | 32.9% |
| Ohio | Athens County | $42,414 | $59,374 | 27.9% |
| Oklahoma | Adair County | $34,375 | $46,966 | 26.6% |
| Oregon | Malheur County | $44,362 | $57,777 | 21.1% |
| Pennsylvania | Cameron County | $40,342 | $48,684 | 18.2% |
| Rhode Island | Providence County | $62,323 | $81,802 | 14% |
| South Carolina | Allendale County | $26,074 | $43,862 | 28% |
| South Dakota | Todd County | $24,102 | $35,962 | 58.9% |
| Tennessee | Hancock County | $28,234 | $55,123 | 31.1% |
| Texas | Presidio County | $22,716 | $37,266 | 39.9% |
| Utah | Piute County | $29,125 | $47,845 | 19.1% |
| Vermont | Essex County | $47,035 | $60,812 | 14.1% |
| Virginia | Radford city | $34,576 | $58,873 | 39.3% |
| Washington | Whitman County | $42,288 | $62,379 | 26% |
| West Virginia | McDowell County | $26,072 | $36,690 | 32.8% |
| Wisconsin | Menominee County | $47,188 | $67,532 | 28.3% |
| Wyoming | Niobrara County | $46,111 | $59,620 | 21.5% |
The mean household incomes in the poorest counties in every state range widely. On the high end is Hawaii’s poorest county — Hawaii County — which has a mean household income of $86,367. On the other end is Wolfe County, Kentucky, with a mean household income of $34,331.
Though poverty rates naturally tend to be elevated among the poorest counties in each state, the range here is also considerable. In two counties — Hawaii County, Hawaii and Providence County, Rhode Island — the poverty rate is comparatively low at 14%. Meanwhile, in Todd County, South Dakota, the poverty rate is 58.9%.
Looking at the Gini index of income inequality, the poorest counties in each state tend to have higher levels of income inequality than the richest counties. This can be seen best in reference to Louisiana’s poorest county, East Carroll Parish. There, the Gini index is 0.6524 (versus 0.4817 for the U.S. overall).
This income inequality can be seen in the disparity between the median household income in East Carroll Parish ($24,551) versus the mean household income ($53,231). Among the poorest counties by state, Cameron County, Pennsylvania has the lowest Gini index 0.4126. But this Gini index is still higher than that of the richest state county with the lowest Gini index — Chugach Census Area, Alaska, at 0.3680.
FAQs about the richest counties in the U.S.
While this study didn’t focus on which counties were the most expensive to live in, we can provide a general idea of how expensive some of the richest counties are.
For example, Falls Church city, Virginia, has a median home sale price of $661,000, as of Nov. 27, 2022, based on Redfin data. On the other hand, the third richest county in the study, San Mateo County, had a median home sale price of more than $1.5 million as of Nov. 27, 2022.
But keep in mind that other factors, such as cost of living and taxes, figure into an area’s overall affordability.
If we zero-in on 50 richest counties in the U.S., Virginia has the highest number of richest counties: nine. Right behind is California, with six of the richest counties.
Among the 50 poorest counties in the U.S., Kentucky is home to the highest number: 11. Focusing in on the 20 poorest counties, South Dakota is home to five.
Methodology
To determine the richest and poorest counties in the U.S. overall and by state, Credit Karma analyzed all counties in the country, using the following criteria:
- Median household income, sourced from the Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
- Mean household income, sourced from the Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
- Poverty status, percentage of the population living below the poverty line, sourced from the Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
- Gini index of income inequality, sourced from the Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
All these factors were scored, then added together to get a final score, allowing Credit Karma to rank the counties accordingly.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table S1901 – Income in the Past 12 Months
- U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table S1701 – Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months
- U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table 19083 – Gini Index of Income Inequality