The Top 10 Wealthiest Counties in the United States in 2024

The United States is the wealthiest country in the world by gross domestic product (GDP). A country’s GDP is the monetary value it generates with goods and services. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United States had a GDP of nearly 25.5 billion dollars in 2022. For 2023, it is estimated that the GDP will reach 26.9 billion. While the United States is the wealthiest country in the world by GDP, not everyone in the U.S. enjoys a high standard of living. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, the United States has the highest income inequality of any country in the Group of Seven (G7). The G7 is Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. These countries have some of the most advanced economies in the world.

According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2021 the U.S. had 37.9 million people living in poverty, which is 11.6 percent of the population. People with greater wealth in the United States enjoy a longer life expectancy, cleaner drinking water, and significantly more public school funding per student. Due to the massive income inequality in the United States, wealth tends to concentrate in specific areas. This article explores the wealthiest counties in the United States according to median income, investment income, and property value. Commonly, median home price is used to rank the wealthiest counties. However, that is only one important factor in looking at total wealth. Median income and investment income help indicate which places have the greatest concentrations of wealth.

1. San Mateo County, CA

San Mateo County, in the California Bay Area, is the wealthiest county in the United States. It is part of Silicon Valley, a region of Northern California that designs and produces advanced technology such as websites, smartphone applications, and computer software. San Mateo County is home to some of the largest and wealthiest technology companies in the world. For example, Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook, is worth 185.73 billion U.S. dollars and is headquartered in Menlo Park of San Mateo County. The San Mateo County Board of Education is currently suing Meta Platforms over the mental health crisis of children associated with social media use.

The largest city in San Mateo County is San Mateo with 100,984 people, followed by Daly City with 100,007 people. Redwood City, the third-largest city with a population of 80,512, is the county seat. The median income in San Mateo County is $136,837, the investment income is $149,818, and the median home price is $1,495,191.

2. San Francisco County, CA

The City and County of San Francisco is located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California. It is the only consolidated city-county in California. San Francisco is the center of the San Francisco Bay Area and is located just north of Silicon Valley. Some of the largest companies based in San Francisco are Wells Fargo, Twitter, Twitch, Uber, Lyft, and Slack. The City and County of San Francisco is part of the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkley U.S. Census Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). This MSA has the third-highest GDP per capita in the United States, totaling $144,633 million U.S. dollars in 2021.

San Francisco has a population of 808,437 and a population density of 17,237.5 people per square mile. The median income in the City and County of San Francisco is $126,187, the investment income is $134,035, and the median home price is $134,035.

3. Santa Clara County, CA

Santa Clara County is in the southern San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the two counties that make up Silicon Valley, the other being San Mateo County. Santa Clara County, along with San Benito County, is a part of the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara U.S. Census Bureau Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). This MSA has the second-highest GDP per capita in the United States, totaling $210,235 million U.S. dollars in 2021. Santa Clara County is home to many notable high-tech companies, including Apple, Intel, Google, Yahoo, and eBay.

San Jose is the largest city in Santa Clara County, and in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a population of 971,233. The median income in Santa Clara County is $140,258, the investment income is $90,292, and the median home price is $1,468,206.

4. Marin County, CA

Marin County is in the northern San Francisco Bay Area, across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. It is part of the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkley U.S. Census MSA, which has the third-highest GDP per capita of any MSA in the U.S. Since Marin County is only 1.7 miles from San Francisco, many people commute between the two places. Marin County is known for being the birthplace of mountain biking, specifically at Mount Tamalpais State Park during the 1960s and 70s.

The median income in Marin County is $131,008, the investment income is $142,305, and the median home price is $1,428,578.

5. Nantucket County, MA

The Town and County of Nantucket is an island off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It is famous for its beautiful beaches and historic lighthouses. While its year-round population is just 14,421, in the summer the population swells to around 80,000. The median income in Nantucket County is $116,571, the investment income is $96,756, and the median home price is $2,439,428. Nantucket is a popular tourist destination.

6. New York County, NY

New York County, also known as Manhattan, is the wealthiest of the five New York City boroughs. It has the highest income per capita of any county in the United States, at $83,008. Manhattan is a major hub of the New York City economy, growing in population by nearly 1.5 million people daily due to commuters. It is part of the New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ–PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, commonly known as the Tri-State area. This MSA has the eighth-highest GDP per capita of any MSA in the U.S., at $100,806. Wall Street, Manhattan’s financial sector, is the center of the U.S. financial industry. It is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, and several large banks including Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs.

The median income in New York County is $93,956, the investment income is $240,895, and the median home price is $1,174,530.

7. Teton County, WY

Teton County is in northwestern Wyoming, bordering Idaho. While the economy of Teton County is not particularly large, it is home to a massive amount of wealth. This wealth is disproportionately generated from investments rather than employment. To illustrate, a whopping 69% of the wealth in Teton County is from investments, compared to the U.S. average of just 18%.

The median income in Teton County is $94,498, the investment income is $437,754, and the median home price is $1,624,087.

8. Falls Church, VA

Falls Church, Virginia is an independent city, meaning it is not a part of any county. Its population is only 14,658, compared to nearby Washington, D.C. which has a population of 671,803. Although Falls Church does not have a particularly large economy, its population is extremely wealthy.

The median income in Falls Church is $155,071, the investment income is $46,711, and the median home price is $957,075.

9. Alameda County, CA

Alameda County is in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area, known as the East Bay. It is home to several prominent Bay Area cities including Berkeley and Oakland. Alameda County is part of the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkley U.S. Census Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which has the third-largest GDP per capita of any MSA in the U.S.

The median income in Alameda County is $112,017, the investment income is $38,318, and the median home price is $1,067,823.

10. Dukes County, MA

Dukes County, MA includes Martha’s Vineyard, the Elizabeth Islands, and Nomans Land. Like Nantucket, Dukes County is a popular summer destination. Its year-round population is 20,868, but the population swells to around 100,000 during summer.

The median income in Dukes County is $77,392, the investment income is $70,387, and the median home price is $1,379,576.

Summary Of the Top 10 Wealthiest Counties in the United States