No economy has generated as much wealth for as many people as that of the United States. According to the 2023 Global Wealth Report from the Swiss investment bank UBS, most adults worldwide have less than $10,000 in total wealth. Meanwhile, the typical American adult is worth nearly $108,000. The same report found that the U.S. is home to 38% of the world’s millionaires, many times more than any other country — and incomes in the U.S. are currently rising at a historic pace.
The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey shows that the typical American household earned nearly $75,000 in 2022, up from about $69,700 in 2021. The 7.2% increase was the largest recorded year-over-year since at least the mid-1990s.
In Maryland, a state home to three Fortune 500 companies, the typical household earns $98,461 annually. And in some parts of the state, household incomes exceed that amount by tens of thousands of dollars.
Using five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 richest counties in Maryland. Counties in the state are ranked on median household income. Supplemental data on population, unemployment, and median home values are also five-year estimates from the 2022 ACS.
Among the counties on this list, median household incomes are anywhere from about $8,000 to $42,500 higher than what the typical Maryland household earns. In many of these counties, high incomes are underpinned by a strong job market. According to the ACS, the five-year average jobless rate in each of Maryland’s richest counties is below the 5.1% statewide average.
Home values are often a reflection of what residents can afford, and high incomes in these counties are often evidenced by the local real estate markets. In a majority of counties on this list, the typical home is worth more than the $380,500 median home value across the state.
These are the richest counties in Maryland.
10. Harford County
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- Median household income: $106,417
- Median home value: $351,100
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.7%
- Population: 261,059
9. Queen Anne’s County
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $108,332
- Median home value: $421,900
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.6%
- Population: 50,316
8. Carroll County
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- Median household income: $111,672
- Median home value: $390,200
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.1%
- Population: 173,225
7. St. Mary’s County
Source: Famartin / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $113,668
- Median home value: $376,900
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.5%
- Population: 113,814
6. Frederick County
- Median household income: $115,724
- Median home value: $412,500
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.7%
- Population: 273,829
5. Anne Arundel County
- Median household income: $116,009
- Median home value: $432,000
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.0%
- Population: 588,109
4. Charles County
Source: Famartin / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $116,882
- Median home value: $382,800
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.8%
- Population: 167,035
3. Montgomery County
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- Median household income: $125,583
- Median home value: $588,900
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.8%
- Population: 1,056,910
2. Calvert County
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- Median household income: $128,078
- Median home value: $418,900
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.1%
- Population: 93,244
1. Howard County
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- Median household income: $140,971
- Median home value: $551,300
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.7%
- Population: 332,011
| Rank | County | Median household income ($) | Median home value ($) | Unemployment rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Howard, Maryland | 140,971 | 551,300 | 3.7 |
| 2 | Calvert, Maryland | 128,078 | 418,900 | 3.1 |
| 3 | Montgomery, Maryland | 125,583 | 588,900 | 4.8 |
| 4 | Charles, Maryland | 116,882 | 382,800 | 4.8 |
| 5 | Anne Arundel, Maryland | 116,009 | 432,000 | 4.0 |
| 6 | Frederick, Maryland | 115,724 | 412,500 | 3.7 |
| 7 | St. Mary’s, Maryland | 113,668 | 376,900 | 3.5 |
| 8 | Carroll, Maryland | 111,672 | 390,200 | 3.1 |
| 9 | Queen Anne’s, Maryland | 108,332 | 421,900 | 3.6 |
| 10 | Harford, Maryland | 106,417 | 351,100 | 3.7 |
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