Based on median household income, the 2009 Forbes ranking of the nation’s wealthiest locations is dominated by East Coast counties and 12 of the 25 are located in the greater Washington, DC metro area. Of them, eight (8) are in Virginia and four (4) are in Maryland. The Maryland counties included Charles (#21), Calvert (#13), Montgomery (#10), and Howard (#3). Virginia counties included in this year’s ranking were Alexandria City (23); Goochland (#16), Prince William (#14), Stafford (#12) and Arlington (#9) counties, Fairfax City (#6); Fairfax County (#2) and Loudoun County (#1). All of these market areas are within commuting distance of the nation’s capital where the unemployment rate is a modest 6.2% compared to nearly 10% for the nation as a whole. The median (half above/half below) household income levels for the 12 markets ranged from $85,135 in Alexandria City, VA, to $110,643 in #1 Loudoun County where 58% of residents 25 or older hold a Bachelor’s or post-graduate degree. The top 25 have median annual household income at or above $84,767.
Interestingly, with the exception of Suffolk and Nassau counties in New York, which ranked #25 and #11 respectively, and Marin County, CA (#18), the usual suspects were obviously absent. Los Angeles/Hollywood, CA, Greenwich, CT, Vail and Aspen, CO did not make the cut in spite of inherently high costs of living. Three New Jersey counties made the cut, as did three in New York, and one each in Pennsylvania, Utah, Georgia, Tennessee and Colorado.
For individual profiles of all 25 counties included in the Forbes list, click here. To learn more about private communities located in Virginia and Maryland, click on the state name.
