U.S. News & World Report released its ‘15 Richest Counties in the U.S.’ list last week and it included five counties located in the DMV area. The list includes just one Maryland jurisdiction, Howard County, and four counties located in Northern Virginia. Montgomery County, which is not included in this list, has come in just outside of the “Top 15” in other lists from recent years, including 18th on Forbes and Fox Business.
The list ranks the 15 richest counties or county equivalents by median household income, according to American Community Survey estimates for 2016-2020. Per the list, “According to the latest five-year estimates, a total of 49 counties had median household incomes that were above $100,000. Of the 15 counties with the highest incomes, five are located in Virginia or Maryland, near the nation’s capital. Four counties are located in California – all in the San Francisco Bay Area – and another four are in New Jersey or New York.”
DMV area counties that have made U.S. News & World rankings can be seen below:
- 7. Arlington County, Virginia (Median household income: $122,604)
- 6. Howard County, Maryland (Median household income: $124,042)
- 5. Fairfax County, Virginia (Median household income: $127,866)
- 2. Falls Church, Virginia (Median household income: $146,922)
- 1. Loudoun County, Virginia (Median household income: $147, 111)
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball mentioned Howard County’s appearance on the list, saying:
By any measure, Howard County is the premier destination in our nation to live, work, play, and grow for all. What makes Howard County exceptional is its people: We are the best-educated workforce in the country; we innovate and we excel. People move here, raise families here, and grow businesses here because of our remarkable quality of life, which is validated by every external ranking, such as the U.S. News & World Report list.
Excellence doesn’t happen by accident. It takes work, and investment. Earlier this year, Howard County became one of only 49 out of 3,100 in the nation to receive an AAA rating from all three Wall Street credit rating agencies. The agencies applauded our stable financial operations and strong management, noting our comprehensive policies that have allowed us to weather several economic downturns. Despite recent challenges brought on by the pandemic and inflationary pressures, Howard County continues to experience economic growth and maintains a strong financial position, with solid reserves.
Still, we stay focused on addressing gaps in success for all, and we know that not every family in Howard County experiences the economic certainty they want. Working together, we will continue to promote the best, most innovative health, education, economic development and wealth creation, public safety and environmental policies for the benefit of all in Howard County.
The full list can be seen here.
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1 comment
Counties with unusually high median income AREN’T super effective at raising the incomes of their poorest residents.
Rich counties exist because they’re super effective at preventing poor people from being able to live there.
Lack of affordable housing, lack of public transit or walkable work-life.
Residents and leaders on the list should be ASHAMED, not proud.