The Richest Counties In America

While many Americans struggle to find jobs, balance their budgets and get by with less, some folks are living high on the hog. Using the most recent Census Bureau data, from 2010, we chose the 15 counties in the U.S. with the highest median household incomes. With three counties exceeding the $100,000 mark, life seems pretty good in these areas, even as the U.S. median household income declined 2.3% from 2009 to 2010. Still, the following 15 richest counties have a median income that is about double the national average of $49,445. The wealthiest areas in the US have median household incomes that are double the national average. Here's where some of the nation's 1% live.

No. 15: Charles County, Md.

Median household income: $87,007- The first of five Maryland counties to make our list, Charles' population grew 21.6% in the first decade of the 21st century. With Maryland taking up a third of our list, it's important to note that this state's residents took the sixth spot in our ranking of the most generous states.

No. 14: St. Mary's County, Md.

Median household income: $88,444- The median household income in St. Mary's skyrocketed from about $72,000 in 2009 to more than $88,000 in 2010, the biggest percentage increase (roughly 22%) on our richest-counties list. This beautiful county lies on Chesapeake Bay, across from Virginia, and is home to a state park and a regional airport.

No. 13: Calvert County, Md.

Median household income: $88,862- Calvert lies just across the Patuxent River from St. Mary's County, which holds the 14th spot on our list. The median household income in Calvert County didn't see the same boom that St. Mary's saw year over year, though. Its income remained essentially flat, decreasing less than 1% from 2009. Veterans make up roughly 10% of the population, according to the most recent census data.

No. 12: Montgomery County, Md.

Median household income: $89,155- With almost 1 million residents, Montgomery is one of the largest counties on our list. It's no surprise that this county is so large, because it's situated just north of Washington, D.C., and only an hour from Baltimore. More than half of the county's residents have a bachelor's degree or higher, and home values in this area are astounding. The median value of an owner-occupied home was $482,900, according to recent data.

No. 11: Nassau County, N.Y.

Median household income: $91,104- Just a hop, skip and a subway ride from Manhattan, Nassau County contains a large chunk of Long Island and Long Beach. The only New York county to make the list, this area has a low poverty rate, with only 5% of residents living below the poverty line. But what really sets Nassau apart is its diversity; among its residents, 20.7% are foreign-born and 27.3% speak a language other than English at home.

No. 10: Morris County, N.J.

Median household income: $91,469- Morris just barely slipped into the top 10 richest counties after its median household income fell by roughly $3,000 from 2009. The county's residents are less than an hour from Manhattan, and the area includes several lakes and state parks. Golf is big in Morris County, with about 20 places to tee off.

No. 9: Prince William County, Va.

Median household income: $92,655- Not to be outdone, Virginia matches Maryland with the most counties on our list. Prince William County has seen its median household income increase from 2009, even as the national average declined. Prince William is near Washington, D.C., just like several other counties on the list. What makes it stand out from the rest, though, is the 43.2% population boom it has seen in the past decade. The area is home to many historical sites, including Manassas National Battlefield Park, where two Civil War battles took place.

No. 8: Somerset County, N.J.

Median household income: $94,270- With one of the nation's most prestigious colleges (Princeton University) just outside the county, it's no surprise that the education levels of Somerset County residents are high. Almost 93% of residents have a high school diploma, and roughly 50% have a bachelor's degree or higher.

No. 7: Stafford County, Va.

Median household income: $94,317- With just 128,961 residents, Stafford County is one of the smallest-population areas on our list, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in jobs. The county's unemployment rate is just less than 5%, much better than the national average of 8.3%. The wealth of jobs must put residents in the giving mood, since the state of Virginia came in at the third spot on our list of the most generous states.

No. 6: Douglas County, Colo.

Median household income: $94,909- The only Colorado county and the only county west of the Mississippi to make our list, there's something special about Douglas. The large youth population (30.5% of residents are under the age of 18) suggests that the county is a good place for families. With the area sitting just outside Denver, residents need only travel up Interstate 25 to get to the Mile High City. The rural beauty must attract residents, as there are 340 people per square mile. The population saw a 62.4% increase from 2000 to 2010.

No. 5: Arlington County, Va.

Median household income: $94,986- Living in Arlington isn't cheap, so you'd better be making at least the median household income to live in this county, which sits just outside Washington, D.C. Arlington may not be the richest, but it does set a high for real-estate values. The median value of an owner-occupied home in Arlington County is $571,700 -- almost $70,000 more than any other county on our list. This county also stands out as the most educated on our list: 70.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

No. 4: Hunterdon County, N.J.

Median household income: $97,874- The richest county in New Jersey, Hunterdon just missed the six-figure mark in median household income. Located west of Somerset County, which took the eighth-richest county spot, Hunterdon's median income actually had crossed the $100,000 mark before.While some might assume that Hunterdon's residents make high salaries by commuting to New York City, where salaries are higher than the national average, the truth is that almost 94% of residents stay in the state for work. In fact, more residents commute to Pennsylvania for work than to New York.

No. 3: Howard County, Md.

Median household income: $101,771- With an astounding 58.3% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher, Howard County shows that higher education can pay. Howard, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., is one of only three U.S. counties with a six-figure median household income. The median value of an owner-occupied home in the county is $456,200.

No. 2: Fairfax County, Va.

Median household income: $103,010- Fairfax County is one of the largest counties in terms of population to make our list (1,081,726 residents in 2010), but it is also notable for its real estate. Fairfax is one of only two counties on our list to break the half-million mark in home values. Coming in at $507,800 for the median value of an owner-occupied home, the county truly has some spectacular real estate.Langley (headquarters of the CIA) is within the county, so government employees must be making a decent amount of money these days. Also, the unemployment rate in the county has been astoundingly low historically, hitting 1.4% in 1999, when the national rate was 4.3%.

No. 1: Loudoun County, Va.

Median household income: $119,540- With a median household income that is a full $16,000 higher than our second-place finisher, Loudoun County has trounced the competition on its way to becoming the richest county in America.Another county surrounding our nation's capital, Loudoun borders West Virginia and Maryland and is the home to Washington Dulles International Airport. The Appalachian Trail runs along its western border, and the area was largely an agricultural community until the airport was built in the 1960s. The population has continued to increase since then, with the area nearly doubling in population from 2000 to 2010. The poverty rate is also an incredibly low 3.2%.

Source:  MSN Money