The Geography of Lower, Middle and Higher Income Households in the United States

morrill-income.png

Data on incomes of households for US counties allow us to see the geographic patterns of poorer, average and richer households. Covering the numbers of households and shares of households that are relatively poor to rich, we get a fascinating picture of American economic diversity. 

Four maps are used, one each for numbers and shares of lower income: under $40,000, middle income: $40,000 to $100,000, and higher income: over $100,000. These three are the main focus, but I also show a map of mean incomes (aggregate income of the county divided by the number of households), instead of the familiar map of median or typical income, which provides us with some interesting insight into the impact of ultra-affluent households.

In addition, I present a few tables listing the more “extreme” counties: those highest and lowest in mean income, those with the highest share of rich, middle class and poorer households, and counties with the greatest inequality. These numbers, it should be add, do not factor in the cost of living, nor distinguish between families and non-families, which might produce very different results.

Lower income households

Areas with highest shares of lower income households (< $40,000), shown in orange, red and almost black, are quite distinct. Poorest America is concentrated within a massive contiguous zone, punctuated by less poor urban islands, spreading over much of the South and border states, and also encompassing Appalachia and Ozarkia. The northern portion, MO, northern AR, KY, TN, WV, into OH, and western VA and NC, are mainly white and  rural, small town. And there are some mainly white rural low income counties in TX, LA, MS, AL, GA, SC, and NC. But lower income black households dominate in AR, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC into VA, and some American Indian areas in OK.

Outside the southern core region, there are several  distinct areas of poorer households, (1), core metropolitan counties in Megalopolis (Baltimore, Philadelphia, NJ-NY), (2), heavily Hispanic areas in Texas, along the border with Mexico, (3), Indian reservation areas across the West, (4) and most interesting, several clusters of declining resource dependent counties in ME, northern MI, and a relatively unknown stretch of resource dependent communities in the Pacific Northwest and CA. . 

In contrast areas with the lowest shares of low income households include suburban Megalopolis, Minneapolis and Chicago, and the Pacific coastal metropolitan areas in general.

Table 1 lists the very highest share of poorer households for the lower income, < $40,000. The map shows the 30 counties from Table 1 with a higher than 70% share of lower income. These include 11 from Appalachia. Even more counties, 19, are minority dominated. Two are Hispanic and one American Indian. Of the 44 counties with highest share of the poorest category, < $25,000, 14 are in Appalachia, 8 are Hispanic, mostly in TX, 19 are black majority counties in the south,  1 is Indian and 2 are characterized by many poor whites as well as blacks.



Table 1: Highest shares of low income households
Counties Poor % Mean Income
Owsley County, Kentucky 64.4%  $         30,654
Brooks County, Texas 58.0%  $         38,721
Allendale County, South Carolina 57.5%  $         37,662
Breathitt County, Kentucky 57.0%  $         36,737
Holmes County, Mississippi 57.0%  $         31,294
Zavala County, Texas 56.7%  $         30,994
Hancock County, Georgia 56.2%  $         30,209
Wolfe County, Kentucky 56.2%  $         28,594
Clay County, Kentucky 55.7%  $         33,904
Chicot County, Arkansas 55.5%  $         37,631
McDowell County, West Virginia 55.1%  $         31,002
McCreary County, Kentucky 55.1%  $         31,517
Knox County, Kentucky 54.6%  $         35,052
Leflore County, Mississippi 54.6%  $         35,095
Noxubee County, Mississippi 54.5%  $         34,046
Wilcox County, Alabama 54.4%  $         34,585
Issaquena County, Mississippi 54.3%  $         33,698
Willacy County, Texas 53.6%  $         36,137
Magoffin County, Kentucky 53.3%  $         36,653
Clinton County, Kentucky 53.0%  $         33,799
Jackson County, Kentucky 53.0%  $         32,884
Greene County, Alabama 52.7%  $         36,678
Lee County, South Carolina 52.6%  $         36,284
Hancock County, Tennessee 52.6%  $         31,170
Taliaferro County, Georgia 52.4%  $         35,122
Galax city, Virginia 52.2%  $         39,006
East Carroll Parish, Louisiana 51.9%  $         51,241
Quitman County, Mississippi 51.7%  $         33,462
Hudspeth County, Texas 51.5%  $         34,453
Telfair County, Georgia 51.4%  $         34,131
Shannon County, South Dakota 51.3%  $         31,875
Kinney County, Texas 51.0%  $         36,953
Claiborne County, Mississippi 51.0%  $         33,386
Elliott County, Kentucky 51.0%  $         34,786
Zapata County, Texas 51.0%  $         42,526
Williamsburg County, South Carolina 51.0%  $         36,065
Jefferson County, Mississippi 50.9%  $         33,777
Starr County, Texas 50.9%  $         39,871
Costilla County, Colorado 50.8%  $         38,967
Tallahatchie County, Mississippi 50.8%  $         34,418
Lake County, Tennessee 50.7%  $         37,016
Coahoma County, Mississippi 50.6%  $         42,045
Bell County, Kentucky 50.4%  $         36,482
Sunflower County, Mississippi 50.0%  $         37,361


It is fascinating that while the poor black, Hispanic and Indian poorer areas tend to vote Democratic, the northern poor white areas, especially in Appalachia, now generally support Republicans.

Middle income households:  $40,000-$100,000

While it could be argued that my $40 to $100k range is too narrow for middle classes, I don’t think so, at least for most areas, and I feel that the data reveal the income polarization of American society, with middle classes getting squeezed by the rising shares of the poorer and richer.

From the map the most telling feature is how sparse are counties with the highest shares of middle incomes. There is a polarization, reflecting a processes of deindustrialization, and the increasing income disparities between professional and the new service workers.  Shares over 40% are predominantly suburban and exurban in the eastern half of the country. They are well represented across the South, most prominently in TX, OK, TN, and VA, but far more pervasive in the Midwest, most notably in MN (greater Minneapolis), WI, IA, MO, IL, IN, and to some degree around cities that still have an industrial base and/or a productive hinterland. A secondary set of counties with high middle income shares are spread across the Mountain West, but different in character, often rural to small city, and notably in UT, CO, and WY. Note their total absence in mighty CA, where the middle class, as we define it, is clearly shrinking.

In table 2 I list the 45 counties with 46 to 64% middle income shares. Many are quite small and none is very populous. The state with the most such counties is UT, then MN, CO, VA, NE, and IA. It may be significant that Utah has by far the highest share of these high middle income counties. Generally counties with high shares of middle class households have the lowest income inequality.



Table 2: Highest shares of middle income households
Counties Mid-Income Households Low Income % Mid-Income % High Income %
Skagway Municipality, Alaska              206 16.8% 53.4% 27.2%
Craig County, Virginia           1,045 32.9% 52.5% 10.0%
McPherson County, Nebraska              104 27.5% 51.0% 5.9%
Reagan County, Texas              581 27.7% 50.9% 14.2%
Bath County, Virginia           1,029 36.6% 50.8% 5.6%
Rich County, Utah              386 24.7% 50.7% 12.1%
Tooele County, Utah           8,937 27.5% 50.4% 18.0%
Storey County, Nevada              912 28.4% 49.9% 18.0%
Moody County, South Dakota           1,281 33.5% 49.4% 9.6%
Manassas Park city, Virginia           2,071 17.9% 49.2% 28.5%
Iowa County, Iowa           3,230 35.0% 48.5% 12.9%
Grundy County, Iowa           2,442 32.9% 48.4% 13.5%
Lyon County, Iowa           2,095 38.4% 48.0% 8.4%
Grand County, Colorado           2,557 28.8% 48.0% 18.9%
Chisago County, Minnesota           9,267 26.6% 47.9% 20.8%
Lincoln County, Wyoming           3,094 32.5% 47.8% 15.7%
Greenlee County, Arizona           1,586 38.5% 47.7% 6.3%
Box Elder County, Utah           7,436 32.8% 47.6% 13.9%
King William County, Virginia           2,814 26.7% 47.6% 20.7%
Lincoln County, South Dakota           7,494 25.2% 47.5% 23.4%
Teton County, Idaho           1,791 32.8% 47.3% 14.1%
Routt County, Colorado           4,766 22.6% 47.0% 21.9%
Paulding County, Georgia        21,807 28.7% 47.0% 18.9%
Sherburne County, Minnesota        13,684 22.2% 46.8% 26.7%
Juab County, Utah           1,422 34.8% 46.7% 13.8%
Calumet County, Wisconsin           8,505 27.7% 46.6% 20.6%
Wayne County, Utah              418 37.5% 46.5% 13.3%
Dodge County, Minnesota           3,392 27.3% 46.5% 21.7%
Sioux County, Iowa           5,351 37.3% 46.4% 10.0%
Stanton County, Kansas              339 34.6% 46.4% 8.9%
Iowa County, Wisconsin           4,498 35.3% 46.3% 14.1%
Cameron Parish, Louisiana           1,233 35.1% 46.3% 16.4%
Nicollet County, Minnesota           5,624 31.7% 46.3% 16.1%
Wabaunsee County, Kansas           1,272 39.3% 46.3% 11.1%
Wasatch County, Utah           3,308 24.5% 46.2% 23.9%
Pershing County, Nevada              914 37.6% 46.2% 11.2%
Ouray County, Colorado              783 30.0% 46.0% 19.0%
Morgan County, Utah           1,247 21.0% 45.9% 27.0%
Park County, Colorado           3,248 24.1% 45.9% 24.0%
Logan County, Nebraska              147 42.8% 45.9% 4.4%
Carson County, Texas           1,109 34.9% 45.9% 16.1%
Emery County, Utah           1,735 38.4% 45.9% 9.6%
Cass County, Nebraska           4,408 27.5% 45.9% 21.2%
Jasper County, Indiana           5,602 33.7% 45.8% 15.0%
Polk County, Nebraska           1,019 40.1% 45.7% 8.6%

 

High Income counties

The geography of higher income counties is again completely different - and rather amazing. Higher shares of richer households are located overwhelmingly in large metropolitan areas in all regions of the country, predictably but most dominant around greater New York City. The few rural small town counties are generally the resort playgrounds of the rich, as found in CO. 

Table 3A lists the counties with the highest shares of higher incomes (>$100,000). Of the 32 higher income counties, 23 are in Megalopolis, including the 3 richest areas, from 53% to 59% high income. Of the 32 richest counties, 11.1% to 19% of the households are above $200,000, again 22 counties are in Megalopolis, then 4 in CA (Bay Area). 




Table 3A: Highest share of rich households
Counties Rich % $100-200,000 Rich % Above $200,000 Mean Income
Falls Church city, Virginia 35.4% 19.6%  $  134,264
Hunterdon County, New Jersey 33.0% 17.5%  $  130,723
Fairfax County, Virginia 35.8% 17.4%  $  132,662
Loudoun County, Virginia 41.7% 17.4%  $  134,098
Marin County, California 28.2% 16.8%  $  128,544
Somerset County, New Jersey 32.6% 16.0%  $  129,222
Fairfield County, Connecticut 25.0% 16.0%  $  130,074
Westchester County, New York 24.7% 15.8%  $  128,127
New York County, New York 19.5% 15.8%  $  122,620
Morris County, New Jersey 32.7% 15.6%  $  128,371
Howard County, Maryland 36.3% 15.4%  $  123,234
Montgomery County, Maryland 31.6% 15.3%  $  125,557
Pitkin County, Colorado 20.0% 15.1%  $  134,267
Arlington County, Virginia 32.4% 15.1%  $  121,315
Nantucket County, Massachusetts 26.3% 14.4%  $  137,811
Nassau County, New York 33.0% 13.9%  $  121,567
San Mateo County, California 29.1% 13.8%  $  118,774
Santa Clara County, California 30.3% 13.5%  $  113,161
Skagway Municipality, Alaska 14.2% 13.0%  $    93,822
Fairfax city, Virginia 35.4% 12.6%  $  114,007
Goochland County, Virginia 27.9% 12.5%  $  118,743
Los Alamos County, New Mexico 40.3% 12.3%  $  117,400
Williamson County, Tennessee 31.1% 12.3%  $  114,801
Bergen County, New Jersey 28.4% 12.1%  $  111,219
Borden County, Texas 16.4% 11.9%  $    93,417
Chester County, Pennsylvania 29.6% 11.8%  $  110,798
San Francisco County, California 24.9% 11.7%  $  102,267
Monmouth County, New Jersey 29.3% 11.7%  $  109,042
Alexandria city, Virginia 28.4% 11.2%  $  110,671
Norfolk County, Massachusetts 28.7% 11.2%  $  108,887
Douglas County, Colorado 38.4% 11.1%  $  117,692
Rockland County, New York 30.1% 11.1%  $  105,450


Table 3B which lists the 37 counties with the highest MEAN incomes, including 9 around Washington DC, 8 around New York, and 3 around San Francisco, reinforcing the fact of the concentration of wealth.   




Table 3B: Mean Income (highest)
County Rich % $100-200,000 Rich % Above $200,000 Mean Income
Nantucket County, Massachusetts 26.3% 14.4%  $  137,811
Pitkin County, Colorado 20.0% 15.1%  $  134,267
Falls Church city, Virginia 35.4% 19.6%  $  134,264
Loudoun County, Virginia 41.7% 17.4%  $  134,098
Fairfax County, Virginia 35.8% 17.4%  $  132,662
Hunterdon County, New Jersey 33.0% 17.5%  $  130,723
Fairfield County, Connecticut 25.0% 16.0%  $  130,074
Somerset County, New Jersey 32.6% 16.0%  $  129,222
Marin County, California 28.2% 16.8%  $  128,544
Morris County, New Jersey 32.7% 15.6%  $  128,371
Westchester County, New York 24.7% 15.8%  $  128,127
Montgomery County, Maryland 31.6% 15.3%  $  125,557
Howard County, Maryland 36.3% 15.4%  $  123,234
New York County, New York 19.5% 15.8%  $  122,620
Nassau County, New York 33.0% 13.9%  $  121,567
Arlington County, Virginia 32.4% 15.1%  $  121,315
San Mateo County, California 29.1% 13.8%  $  118,774
Goochland County, Virginia 27.9% 12.5%  $  118,743
Douglas County, Colorado 38.4% 11.1%  $  117,692
Los Alamos County, New Mexico 40.3% 12.3%  $  117,400
Williamson County, Tennessee 31.1% 12.3%  $  114,801
Fairfax city, Virginia 35.4% 12.6%  $  114,007
Santa Clara County, California 30.3% 13.5%  $  113,161
Bergen County, New Jersey 28.4% 12.1%  $  111,219
Delaware County, Ohio 32.3% 10.6%  $  110,917
Chester County, Pennsylvania 29.6% 11.8%  $  110,798
Alexandria city, Virginia 28.4% 11.2%  $  110,671

 

Table 3C lists the counties with the most extreme income inequality, characterized by high shares of the poorer and the richer, with lower shares of the middle classes. The list includes both inequality based on high shares of lower income (<$4,000) and higher income (>$100,000), and as estimated from highest shares of the poorest (<$25,000) and richest (>$200,000) households. Many counties are on both lists. New York (Manhattan) and San Francisco top both lists. Other counties prominent on both include Fairfield, CT; Westchester, NY; Norfolk, MA; Monmouth, NY; Contra Costa, CA; Rockland NY; and Goochland, VA – all suburban or exurban. Summit, UT and Pitkin, CO are rural resort areas in the west.  Many of the core counties on the lists are high in minority populations, e.g., New York; Fulton, GA; Washington, DC; and Alameda, Contra Costa, Orange, and Ventura, CA.


Table 3C: Most Unequal Counties
Counties <$40k $40-$100k >$100k
New York County, New York 35.0% 26.5% 35.2%
San Francisco County, California 30.9% 28.8% 36.5%
Pitkin County, Colorado 30.0% 29.8% 35.1%
Fulton County, Georgia 36.7% 29.9% 28.7%
Westchester County, New York 25.7% 30.1% 40.6%
District of Columbia, District of Columbia 35.8% 30.1% 29.6%
Fairfield County, Connecticut 25.1% 30.5% 41.0%
Rappahannock County, Virginia 35.3% 30.5% 31.3%
Goochland County, Virginia 25.2% 30.8% 40.4%
Rockland County, New York 24.6% 31.2% 41.2%
Monmouth County, New Jersey 24.2% 31.4% 41.0%
Kendall County, Texas 31.4% 32.0% 33.2%
Boulder County, Colorado 32.4% 32.1% 31.3%
Alameda County, California 29.6% 32.5% 34.1%
Norfolk County, Massachusetts 24.1% 32.6% 39.9%
Mercer County, New Jersey 28.7% 32.9% 35.0%
Middlesex County, Massachusetts 25.6% 33.0% 37.7%
Contra Costa County, California 24.9% 33.0% 38.4%
Essex County, Massachusetts 32.6% 33.1% 30.6%
Summit County, Utah 23.5% 33.5% 38.9%
Union County, New Jersey 30.2% 33.7% 32.0%
Bristol County, Rhode Island 30.7% 33.9% 31.6%
Santa Cruz County, California 31.2% 33.9% 30.8%
Napa County, California 29.4% 33.9% 32.4%
Richmond County, New York 29.1% 34.2% 33.0%
Ventura County, California 25.1% 34.6% 36.1%
Orange County, California 25.3% 34.6% 36.0%
St. Johns County, Florida 30.8% 34.9% 29.0%
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania 24.5% 35.2% 36.3%
Oakland County, Michigan 29.9% 35.2% 30.8%
Newport County, Rhode Island 29.4% 35.5% 30.3%
King County, Washington 28.4% 35.6% 31.8%
Placer County, California 25.6% 35.6% 34.6%
San Diego County, California 31.4% 35.6% 28.5%
Counties <$25k >$200k
New York County, New York 24.5% 15.8%
San Francisco County, California 20.9% 11.7%
Borden County, Texas 18.9% 11.9%
Fairfield County, Connecticut 15.3% 16.0%
Westchester County, New York 15.2% 15.8%
Norfolk County, Massachusetts 15.0% 11.2%
Pitkin County, Colorado 14.6% 15.1%
Monmouth County, New Jersey 14.4% 11.7%
Contra Costa County, California 14.3% 10.7%
Rockland County, New York 14.2% 11.1%
Bergen County, New Jersey 13.9% 12.1%
Santa Clara County, California 13.5% 13.5%
Nantucket County, Massachusetts 13.5% 14.4%
Goochland County, Virginia 13.3% 12.5%
Summit County, Utah 13.2% 10.8%
Marin County, California 13.1% 16.8%
Lake County, Illinois 12.6% 10.9%
Chester County, Pennsylvania 12.0% 11.8%
Alexandria city, Virginia 11.6% 11.2%
San Mateo County, California 11.6% 13.8%
Nassau County, New York 11.4% 13.9%
Williamson County, Tennessee 10.8% 12.3%
Delaware County, Ohio 10.7% 10.6%
Fauquier County, Virginia 10.5% 10.1%
Arlington County, Virginia 10.3% 15.1%
Putnam County, New York 10.0% 10.4%


It doesn’t take much of a cynic to conclude that the way to get rich is to be around Wall Street (the pinnacle of capital) or around the U.S. Congress, the pinnacle of government largess (including lobbyists for Wall Street). Do you doubt? Please see the final map of mean income. Yes, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Atlanta are represented at the table, as is the San Diego to San Francisco corridor, but Megalopolis dwarfs them all.

As if this were not scary enough, consider the relation between these income figures and how Americans voted in for president in 2012. Without showing a map, I can simply state that the areas that provided the extra millions of votes for Obama are precisely the giant metropolitan areas, suburbs and exurbs as well as core counties, with the highest mean income and shares of the rich. While it is also true that Obama carried poorer minority areas, rural as well as metropolitan, he LOST most areas of poor to middle income whites, urban and rural. Weirdly, both the rich (professionals) and the poor (minorities) in the most unequal counties are cores of Democratic strength. The traditional economic basis for Democrat versus Republican partisan difference has essentially disappeared, replaced by distinctions of culture and race, leading to the current screwed up state of not only our political party system, but of governance more widely, and yes, of society itself.

Richard Morrill is Professor Emeritus of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Washington. His research interests include: political geography (voting behavior, redistricting, local governance), population/demography/settlement/migration, urban geography and planning, urban transportation (i.e., old fashioned generalist).



















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Maps misrepresent US poverty

Using counties to define poverty is a poor tool. Counties vary tremendously in population and land area which produces a true apples to oranges comparison on these maps. The first map gives the impression that Appalachian Kentucky has the most poverty in the nation when the truth is that a few square miles in any of our ten largest urban areas dwarfs the number of impoverished in Kentucky east of Knoxville.

I wish the site produced a map that showed the highest concentrations of poverty in uniform areas, say 5 square miles, throughout the country. Then a visitor would get a true idea of where poverty exists in America.