10 of top 15 richest counties are in D.C. suburbs

Colleen Kelleher, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Ten of the 15 richest counties in the nation are in the Washington suburbs, with Loudoun and Fairfax counties in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, according to the website Main Street, which created its list from 2010 census data.

As other areas of the nation saw huge job losses and declining property values during the recession, the D.C. suburbs maintained their stability, in part because of government, defense and technology jobs.

The median household income in Loudoun is $119,540, compared with $103,010 in Fairfax County.

Howard County, Md. ranks third, while Virginia’s Arlington and Stafford counties come in fifth and seventh, respectively.

Prince William County, Va. makes the list at No. 9, and Montgomery County, Md. is 12th.

All three Southern Maryland counties — Calvert, St. Mary’s and Charles counties — make the list.

Here are the rankings from Main Street:

1. Loudoun County, Va. – Median Household Income: $119,540
2. Fairfax County, Va. – Median Household Income: $103,010
3. Howard County, Md. – Median Household Income: $101,771
4. Hunterdon County, N.J. – Median Household Income: $97,874
5. Arlington County, Va. – Median Household Income: $94,986
6. Douglas County, Colo. – Median Household Income: $94,909
7. Stafford County, Va. – Median Household Income: $94,317
8. Somerset County, N.J. – Median Household Income: $94,270
9. Prince William County, Va. – Median Household Income: $92,655
10. Morris County, N.J. – Median Household Income: $91,469
11. Nassau County, N.Y. – Median Household Income: $91,104
12. Montgomery County, Md. – Median Household Income: $89,155
13. Calvert County, Md. – Median Household Income: $88,862
14. St. Mary’s County, Md. – Median Household Income: $88,444
15. Charles County, Md. – Median Household Income: $87,007

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