Almost 50 U.S. counties report median household incomes greater than $100,000, according to a Social Explorer analysis of newly released 2016-20 American Community Survey data. And to a certain extent, the rich did get richer: Thirteen of the 49 counties where the typical household had six-figure incomes reported double-digit gains over the last decade, even after adjusting for inflation. Santa Clara County, Calif., which boasted the third-highest median household income in the nation in 2020 ($130,890), posted a 26.6 percent gain from its 2010 figure.

The largest percentage changes, however, were recorded in unexpected places. Median household income in Golden Valley County, N.D., almost doubled over the decade to $72,308. The county, located in the oil-rich Williston Basin, gained 82 percent from its 2010 median of $39,666. It was followed by Daggett County in northeastern Utah (+73 percent, to $74,911), and Robertson County in northern Kentucky (+63.6 percent, to $53,074). Nationwide, the median household income climbed 5.2 percent to $64,994.

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Change in Median Household Income, 2010-2020. Click Here to Explore Further.

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Author: Frank Bass