Top 25 Richest Counties in America in 2018

If you are discouraged about all your holiday spending, maybe a read through our list of top 25 richest counties in America in 2018 will inspire you. It’s fun to dream, anyway.

One day it could be you, after all, living in what is the richest county in the United States, without a thought toward your spending habits. Of course, we aren’t saying that everyone in these counties is extremely well-off. As with most statistics, these ones speak very generally. But most citizens living in these counties are still doing pretty well financially, because the rankings below are mainly based on median annual income within a county. And you might be surprised by some of the numbers we mention. From the northeast to the southwest, even down to Texas and up to Illinois, America really does consist of some counties that certainly aren’t hurting for money. Oftentimes, this also means that the cost of living in these towns is rather expensive as well, so don’t just go moving there expecting to become rich automatically. In most cases, you’ll need to be rich in order to survive. But that’s beside the point.

But especially this time of year, remember that wealth isn’t everything, and everyone has a different definition of it. Some of the richest people can often be some of the most unhappy, so don’t be too jealous of them. The greatest riches are often intangible. Think love, family, peace, and creativity. And even though those virtues don’t pay the bills (too bad), you can be grateful even if that’s all you have to speak of. At least try to reassure yourself with this knowledge.

To form our rankings, we consulted the following reputable lists of richest counties and cities in America: Forbes’s Top 10 Richest Counties in America 2017, World Atlas’s Richest Counties in the United States, Wealth Management’s 10 Wealthiest Counties in the United States, World’s Top Most’s Richest Counties in the USA, After Downing Street’s Richest Cities in the US, Forbes’s Hunterdon County Among Top Richest in America, Think Advisor’s 20 of the Richest Places in America, 247 Wall Street’s America’s Richest Cities, Bloomberg’s 2017 Hundred Richest Places, and MSN’s America’s Richest Cities. And don’t worry, these were all recently written lists of top 25 richest counties in America 2017 and 2016 and written no earlier, so they prove great resources for our list of top 25 richest counties in America in 2018. Each time a specific county was mentioned on one of the lists above, we gave it one point and formed our list from there. Additionally, each time a city was mentioned as the richest, we also gave one point to the county that city resides in. For instance, the above article of 2017 Hundred Richest Places in America gave us a list of top 100 richest counties in America after we did a little research. But if you’re curious about the exact methodology of each list above, just click on their links to find out.

And if you’re interested in learning more about the financial status of different American cities, check out 25 Poorest Cities in America in 2017. On the contrary, according to Bloomberg’s list of 100 richest places in America, we already mentioned, the richest towns in America in 2017 are Atherton, California, Cherry Hills Village, Colorado and Scarsdale, New York. As for the richest states in America, Alaska, New Jersey and Maryland are at the very top.

Other than that, here goes! Our list of the top 25 richest counties in America in 2018, featuring both the richest counties in California and the richest counties in Maryland. We are starting off with last three counties which share the 23rd place.

23. Palm Beach County, Florida

3 points

The high incomes here make way for lots of ritzy beachside mansions. Must be nice.

23. Somerset County, New Jersey

3 points

The median income here is approximately $95,825. That’s right, we said the median income.

23. Arapahoe County, Colorado

3 points

Colorado is a great place to have money, which many locals spend enjoying the breathtaking outdoors.

The following 10 counties rank 13th on our list of 25 richest counties in America in 2018.

13. Hunterdon County, New Jersey

4 points

For some reason, this state claims many counties on this list of top 25 richest counties in America in 2018.

13. Ventura County, California

4 points

California is another state that claims many counties on this list. But that’s where all the celebrities live, so no surprise there.

13. Honolulu County, Hawaii

4 points

This is also one of the most expensive places to live, so it’s a good thing all the locals are rolling in the dough.

13. Loudoun County, Virginia

4 points

Statistics show a median income of $125,900 in this county, which means even the poor people here are doing mighty fine.

13. Morris County, New Jersey

4 points

This area, about 25 miles west of New York City, consists of Boonton, Chatham, Chester and Hanover, New Jersey.

13. Harris County, Texas

4 points

Apparently, it pays to be a Texas Cowboy.

13. St. Mary’s County, Maryland

4 points

Studies show that based on the income rates in Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, much of New England sure isn’t hurting for cash.

13. New York County, New York

4 points

Big cities like NYC are often the richest cities, at least in this case.

13. Dallas County, Texas

4 points

Dallas, Irving, Richardson, Grand Prairie and Highland Park, Texas will all be getting some nice Christmas gifts this year.

13. San Francisco County, California

4 points

Considering the great weather, beautiful scenery and rich locals, why doesn’t everyone move to California?

Up next on our list of 25 richest counties in America in 2018 we have 4 counties which share the 9th place.

9. Howard County, Maryland

6 points

With all the Ivey League colleges around here, attendees would have to be making the big bucks to afford it.

9. Napa County, California

6 points

Some would say that wealth + wine = the best combination.

9. Marin County, California

6 points

Sure would be nice to have a few generous uncles who lived in this county.

9. Arlington County, Virginia 

6 points

Since this county encompasses the District of Columbia, and government jobs abound, it’s no wonder the median income is so high (at $140,354).

6. Montgomery County, Maryland

7 points

This county is composed of nearly 1 million people, most of whom are living it easy.

6. Essex County, New Jersey

7 points

Do rich people in New Jersey always remind you of Jersey Shore? Because that’s probably what most of us paupers in other parts of America think of.

6. San Mateo County, California

7 points

The seat of this county is Redwood City, just south of San Francisco.

And now, let’s see the top five 25 richest counties in America in 2018.

5. Cook County, Illinois

8 points

Some people only think of endless cornfields and poor farmers when they think of the Midwest. But Illinois, especially this county, actually has some larger cities, including Chicago.

4. Fairfax County, Virginia

9 points

Virginia actually consists of several well-to-do counties, as we’ve seen on this list.

2. Santa Clara County, California

10 points

This is California’s 6th largest county, with San Jose at its seat.

2. Fairfield County, Connecticut

10 points

Yet another example of the wealth of New England.

1. Westchester County, New York

12 points

This county with the median household income of $86,226, tops our list of top 25 richest counties in America in 2018. Thanks for reading!