While median household income measures what a typical household earns, per capita income divides total county income by its entire population. This makes it a purer measure of individual economic productivity — and the counties that top this list look somewhat different from the household-income leaders.
We ranked all US counties by per capita income using Census Bureau ACS data. The national average is $39,455. The top counties exceed this by extraordinary margins — often driven by concentrated wealth, single-person high-earner households, or small populations with significant investment income.
The 25 Counties with the Highest Per Capita Income
The average per capita income across these top 25 counties is $81,391 — nearly triple the national figure.
| Rank | County | State | Per Capita Income | Median Household Income | Median Home Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pitkin County | Colorado | $105,496 | $102,645 | $1,139,100 |
| 2 | New York County | New York | $95,980 | $103,931 | $1,090,500 |
| 3 | Marin County | California | $93,920 | $149,091 | $1,507,300 |
| 4 | San Francisco County | California | $92,289 | $140,970 | $1,394,500 |
| 5 | Arlington County | Virginia | $90,786 | $142,114 | $895,000 |
| 6 | Teton County | Wyoming | $89,594 | $124,172 | $1,633,900 |
| 7 | Falls Church city | Virginia | $88,790 | $143,262 | $1,055,600 |
| 8 | San Mateo County | California | $84,288 | $158,855 | $1,559,600 |
| 9 | Western Connecticut Planning Region | Connecticut | $82,266 | $128,188 | $652,900 |
| 10 | Denali Borough | Alaska | $80,497 | $80,781 | $275,000 |
| 11 | Santa Clara County | California | $80,312 | $164,281 | $1,490,600 |
| 12 | Dukes County | Massachusetts | $79,756 | $125,786 | $1,165,800 |
| 13 | Alexandria city | Virginia | $79,474 | $119,681 | $735,100 |
| 14 | Summit County | Utah | $79,376 | $138,114 | $1,067,700 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | District of Columbia | $77,348 | $109,870 | $737,100 |
| 16 | Nantucket County | Massachusetts | $77,014 | $139,688 | $1,593,800 |
| 17 | San Miguel County | Colorado | $76,078 | $79,024 | $720,700 |
| 18 | Los Alamos County | New Mexico | $74,704 | $147,139 | $495,800 |
| 19 | King County | Washington | $74,100 | $124,746 | $859,900 |
| 20 | Westchester County | New York | $72,705 | $118,976 | $663,200 |
| 21 | Hunterdon County | New Jersey | $72,227 | $141,715 | $517,200 |
| 22 | Somerset County | New Jersey | $72,193 | $140,374 | $552,100 |
| 23 | Loudoun County | Virginia | $71,986 | $181,765 | $743,800 |
| 24 | Fairfax County | Virginia | $71,828 | $153,637 | $732,800 |
| 25 | Norfolk County | Massachusetts | $71,758 | $130,739 | $683,900 |
Why Per Capita Income Differs from Household Income
Per capita income can exceed household income when a county has many single high earners, significant non-wage income (investments, royalties), or a small population with outsized wealth. Conversely, per capita income may lag household income in counties with large families where multiple wage earners contribute to one household total.
For example, a county with many dual-income professional couples will have high household income but may not rank as high in per capita terms. A county with many wealthy retirees living alone may have modest household income but very high per capita income due to investment returns.
Methodology
All data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023). Per capita income is table B19301. Counties with suppressed or missing data were excluded.
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023). All figures are estimates based on survey data and may not reflect current economic conditions.