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 Tennessee, a state home to 10 Fortune 500 companies, the typical household earns $64,035 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 19 richest counties in Tennessee. 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 $1,300 to $61,900 above what the typical Tennessee 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 all but four of Tennessee’s richest counties is below the 5.0% 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 most counties on this list, the typical home is worth more than the $232,100 median home value across the state.
These are the richest counties in Tennessee.
19. Marshall County
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- Median household income: $65,325
- Median home value: $218,500
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.8%
- Population: 34,567
18. Roane County
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $66,460
- Median home value: $193,400
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.9%
- Population: 53,777
17. Montgomery County
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- Median household income: $67,890
- Median home value: $226,400
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.4%
- Population: 222,305
16. Dickson County
Source: Ralf Peter Reimann / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $68,492
- Median home value: $243,800
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.8%
- Population: 54,563
15. Knox County
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- Median household income: $68,580
- Median home value: $248,200
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.8%
- Population: 481,406
14. Hamilton County
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- Median household income: $69,069
- Median home value: $250,900
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.4%
- Population: 367,193
13. Moore County
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- Median household income: $69,250
- Median home value: $256,700
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.2%
- Population: 6,558
12. Tipton County
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- Median household income: $70,674
- Median home value: $203,500
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.4%
- Population: 61,116
11. Blount County
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- Median household income: $70,935
- Median home value: $247,600
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.1%
- Population: 135,951
10. Maury County
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $71,500
- Median home value: $273,400
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 2.5%
- Population: 102,002
9. Davidson County
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- Median household income: $71,863
- Median home value: $354,700
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.6%
- Population: 709,786
8. Robertson County
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- Median household income: $74,440
- Median home value: $271,300
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.8%
- Population: 73,297
7. Loudon County
Source: epantha / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $75,008
- Median home value: $263,800
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 2.9%
- Population: 55,507
6. Cheatham County
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $77,014
- Median home value: $262,200
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.7%
- Population: 41,184
5. Rutherford County
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- Median household income: $78,291
- Median home value: $305,100
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.9%
- Population: 343,727
4. Fayette County
Source: Tiago_Fernandez / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $81,074
- Median home value: $282,600
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.3%
- Population: 42,228
3. Sumner County
Source: Ichabod / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $81,883
- Median home value: $332,700
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.5%
- Population: 196,845
2. Wilson County
Source: kenlund / Flickr
- Median household income: $89,462
- Median home value: $358,900
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.7%
- Population: 149,096
1. Williamson County
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- Median household income: $125,943
- Median home value: $611,100
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 2.1%
- Population: 248,897
| Rank | County | Median household income ($) | Median home value ($) | Unemployment rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williamson, Tennessee | 125,943 | 611,100 | 2.1 |
| 2 | Wilson, Tennessee | 89,462 | 358,900 | 3.7 |
| 3 | Sumner, Tennessee | 81,883 | 332,700 | 3.5 |
| 4 | Fayette, Tennessee | 81,074 | 282,600 | 5.3 |
| 5 | Rutherford, Tennessee | 78,291 | 305,100 | 3.9 |
| 6 | Cheatham, Tennessee | 77,014 | 262,200 | 3.7 |
| 7 | Loudon, Tennessee | 75,008 | 263,800 | 2.9 |
| 8 | Robertson, Tennessee | 74,440 | 271,300 | 3.8 |
| 9 | Davidson, Tennessee | 71,863 | 354,700 | 4.6 |
| 10 | Maury, Tennessee | 71,500 | 273,400 | 2.5 |
| 11 | Blount, Tennessee | 70,935 | 247,600 | 4.1 |
| 12 | Tipton, Tennessee | 70,674 | 203,500 | 5.4 |
| 13 | Moore, Tennessee | 69,250 | 256,700 | 4.2 |
| 14 | Hamilton, Tennessee | 69,069 | 250,900 | 4.4 |
| 15 | Knox, Tennessee | 68,580 | 248,200 | 3.8 |
| 16 | Dickson, Tennessee | 68,492 | 243,800 | 3.8 |
| 17 | Montgomery, Tennessee | 67,890 | 226,400 | 5.4 |
| 18 | Roane, Tennessee | 66,460 | 193,400 | 4.9 |
| 19 | Marshall, Tennessee | 65,325 | 218,500 | 5.8 |
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