In a past Forbes article, we looked at the richest counties in every state in the United States. This time around, we’re looking at the straight-up richest counties in the U.S. regardless of states. The richest counties in the U.S. geographically tend to fall in the Northeast, states surrounding Washington D.C., and the West Coast. Read on to find out the wealthiest counties in the U.S.
Top 10 Richest Counties in the U.S.
Based on the data from the Census Bureau, there are 35 counties in the U.S. with median household incomes of at least $100,000. Five years ago, however, there were only eight counties with median household incomes of $100,000 or more. Of the top 10 richest counties in the U.S., three counties are located in Virginia, and two are located in California. Here are the top 10 richest counties in the U.S.:
Loudoun County, Virginia
- Median household income: $142,299
- 5-Year Change: 14.8%
Fairfax County, Virginia
- Median household income: $124,831
- 5-Year Change: 11.4%
Santa Clara County, California
- Median household income: $124,055
- 5-Year Change: 32.2%
San Mateo County, California
- Median household income: $122,641
- 5-Year Change: 34.1%
Los Alamos County, New Mexico
- Median household income: $121,324
- 5-Year Change: 14.5%
Howard County, Maryland
- Median household income: $121,160
- 5-Year Change: 10%
Arlington County, Virginia
- Median household income: $120,071
- 5-Year Change: 14.2%
Douglas County, Colorado
- Median household income: $119,730
- 5-Year Change: 16.7%
Nassau County, New York
- Median household income: $116,100
- 5-Year Change: 18%
Morris County, New Jersey
- Median household income: $115,527
- 5-Year Change: 16.5%
Top 20 Richest Counties in the U.S.
Below you’ll find an additional 10 counties, to make a list of the top 20 richest counties in the U.S.
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
- Median household income: $115,379
- 5-Year Change: 8.3%
Marin County, California
- Median household income: $115,246
- 5-Year Change: 25.9%
Somerset County, New Jersey
- Median household income: $113,611
- 5-Year Change: 12.6%
Williamson County, Tennessee
- Median household income: $112,962
- 5-Year Change: 23.1%
San Francisco County, California
- Median household income: $112,449
- 5-Year Change: 43.5%
Stafford County, Virginia
- Median household income: $111,108
- 5-Year Change: 12.5%
Calvert County, Maryland
- Median household income: $109,313
- 5-Year Change: 14.6%
Montgomery County, Maryland
- Median household income: $108,820
- 5-Year Change: 10.2%
Nantucket County, Massachusetts
- Median household income: $107,717
- 5-Year Change: 24.5%
Forsyth County, Georgia
- Median household income: $107,218
- 5-Year Change: 22.3%
Richest Counties in the U.S. with Incomes of $100,000 or More
Below you’ll find a table of the richest counties in the U.S., comprised of counties with median household incomes of at least $100,000. Also included in the table are these counties’ incomes five years ago and the change in incomes over those intervening years.