According to a recent study by Bizjournals.com, Franklin County ranks the 78th wealthiest county in the country. Even higher on the list is Delaware County at number 23.
While no Ohio Counties made the top ten, these honors were focused to the cohesive region known as the wealth belt, that is the New Jersey counties of Hunterdon, Somerset and Morris where the income levels are 70 percent above the national average. The remained of the top counties were located in the Mid Atlantic portion of the country (Virginia and Maryland), and Connecticut.
The study America’s Wealthies Suburbs: How 100 Counties Ranked, reports Delaware County has a per capita income of $37,928 and 8.1% of it’s households have an annual income of $200,000 or more (population 156,697). Franklin county per capita income is reported at $32,561 with 6.8% of it’s households having an annual income of $200,000 or more (population 377,185). So how do these two counties compare with the top county on the list? Hunterdon County, N.J. takes the top spot and reports a per capita income of $44,133 with 15% of it’s households reporting annual income of $200,000 or more.
Bizjournals created a nine-part formula to determine the relative affluence of the 291 suburban counties reviewed, seeking the places with the highest incomes, most expensive houses, lowest poverty levels, strongest educational backgrounds, and most extensive ownership of stocks, rental properties and vehicles. (Click here for the study’s methodology.)
