Richest Counties In America

The richest counties in America have one common denominator, which is that they are "bedroom communities" for bustling large cities. Corporate officers and other business people and affluent employees prefer to live in a pleasant area away from the noise and congestion of the big city, especially where there are many amenities and excellent schools for their children.

1. Loudoun County, Virginia is a suburb of Washington, D.C.  According to Forbes and the U.S. Census Bureau, Loudoun County is at the top of the list of America's richest counties and has the highest median household income in the whole United States.
2. Fairfax County, Virginia is a neighbor to Loudoun County and in some years trades places with it as the highest-income county. Fairfax County has the headquarters of many intelligence agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Counter-terrorism Center, and others. It is also home to half of the Fortune 500 companies in the metropolitan area.
3. Howard County, Maryland is in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area and has been ranked the third wealthiest county. "Money" magazine named its Columbia/Ellicott City area the second of "America's Best Places to Live" in its 2010 survey. Howard County's schools usually rank first in Maryland.
4. Calvert County, Maryland occupies the Calvert Peninsula on the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River in southern Maryland. It is also part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.
5. Hunterdon County, New Jersey is in the New  York Metropolitan Area.  The rich soil and agricultural crops originally attracted Native American tribes and Europeans who were looking for a place to settle.
6. Nassau County, New York is in the New  York Metropolitan Area and, along with Suffolk County, comprise "Long Island". Nassau County has two cities, 64 incorporated villages, three towns, and many unincorporated hamlets.  It is the State of New York's richest county per capita. 
7. Marin County, California is across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. It is well known for its affluence and natural beauty along with many high-tech companies such as Comcast and Lucasfilm Ltd. Marin County has Mount Tamalpais, the Point Reyes National Seashore, Stinson Beach, a redwood forest, and more.
8. Santa Clara County, California is located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay. It is the most populous county in the Bay Area and has the well-known Silicon Valley. 
9. Williamson County, Tennessee is a suburb of Nashville and was named for Hugh Williamson, a politician who signed the U.S. Constitution. Health care giants such as Hospital Corporation of America bring wealth to the county. Historic Franklin has its Great American Main Street, a fifteen-block downtown district with specialty shops, restaurants, and entertainment. There are many historic homes and a plantation with Civil War and Victorian architecture  Also in the county is the Natchez Trace Parkway, which is a 444-mile spectacular stretch of scenery with hiking trails. There is also the 75-acre Arrington Vineyards co-owned by country music's Kix Brooks.
10. Forsyth County, Georgia is part of metropolitan Atlanta and has been one of the fastest growing areas in the whole United States. UPS, Delta Airlines, Coca Cola, and others are based there. Forsyth is Georgia's wealthiest county and the nation's 20th wealthiest county.