The 25 richest counties in America

This post comes from Jim Wang at partner blog Bargaineering.

I was a little surprised to learn that my home county, Howard County, Md., was the third-richest county by median income based on 2008 data from the U.S. Census' American Community Survey.

I always knew that Howard County was one of the more affluent areas in Maryland, but I figured that it wouldn’t stand a chance being compared with the suburbs around New York City, which are also among the top 10.

Another bit of data that I found both surprising and disconcerting was the percentage of those over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree in the richest counties. Arlington County, Va., (No. 9) was a staggering 71%, while three other counties (two in Virginia and Howard County, Md.) had more than 60%. Eleven counties had more than 50%.

• Bing: Poorest counties

While I knew that college degrees have a significant impact on one’s earning power, and I also know drawing causation out of so little data is dangerous, but this only confirms the suspicions that an advanced degree is almost necessary to get the high-paying jobs.

Richest counties in America

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Another surprising fact is the concentration and location of affluent counties. Maryland and Virginia claim 12 of the 25 counties. New York and New Jersey snag another six. You can read Forbes’ interpretation of the data, which points to the counties' proximity to major metropolitan centers as well. 

Thoughts?

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