You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Pennsylvania.
The median household income in Chester County, the richest county in Pennsylvania is $118,574, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 67 counties in the Keystone State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In Pennsylvania For 2024
What is the richest county in Pennsylvania? The richest county in Pennsylvania is Chester County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Cameron County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Pennsylvania. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Pennsylvania and the cheapest places to live in Pennsylvania.
The Richest Counties In Pennsylvania For 2024
1. Chester County
Biggest Place: West Chester
Population: 536,474
Median Income: $118,574 (highest)
Median Home Price: $509,017 (highest)
More on Chester County: Data
2. Bucks County
Biggest Place: Levittown
Population: 645,163
Median Income: $107,826 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $460,050 (2nd highest)
More on Bucks County: Data
3. Montgomery County
Biggest Place: Norri
Population: 856,399
Median Income: $107,441 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $439,249 (3rd highest)
More on Montgomery County: Data
4. Delaware County
Biggest Place: Chester
Population: 575,312
Median Income: $86,390 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $325,747 (5th highest)
More on Delaware County: Data
5. Lancaster County
Biggest Place: Lancaster
Population: 553,202
Median Income: $81,458 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $332,818 (4th highest)
More on Lancaster County: Data
6. Northampton County
Biggest Place: Bethlehem
Population: 314,299
Median Income: $82,201 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $317,275 (6th highest)
More on Northampton County: Data
7. Butler County
Biggest Place: Butler
Population: 194,562
Median Income: $82,932 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $298,334 (10th highest)
More on Butler County: Data
8. Cumberland County
Biggest Place: Carlisle
Population: 261,269
Median Income: $82,849 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $305,102 (9th highest)
More on Cumberland County: Data
9. Monroe County
Biggest Place: East Stroudsburg
Population: 168,128
Median Income: $80,656 (9th highest)
Median Home Price: $285,994 (12th highest)
More on Monroe County: Data
10. Lehigh County
Biggest Place: Allentown
Population: 374,110
Median Income: $74,973 (14th highest)
Median Home Price: $310,307 (8th highest)
More on Lehigh County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Pennsylvania county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Pennsylvania, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Pennsylvania for each of the criteria from one to 67, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Pennsylvania.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Keystone State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Pennsylvania. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Pennsylvania For 2024
Living in Pennsylvania can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Pennsylvania are Chester County, Bucks County, Montgomery County, Delaware County, Lancaster County, Northampton County, Butler County, Cumberland County, Monroe County, and Lehigh County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in Pennsylvania according to the data:
- Cameron County
- Forest County
- Cambria County
For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Best Counties To Live In Pennsylvania
- Richest Cities In Pennsylvania
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Pennsylvania
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chester County | 536,474 | $118,574 | $509,017 |
| 2 | Bucks County | 645,163 | $107,826 | $460,050 |
| 3 | Montgomery County | 856,399 | $107,441 | $439,249 |
| 4 | Delaware County | 575,312 | $86,390 | $325,747 |
| 5 | Lancaster County | 553,202 | $81,458 | $332,818 |
| 6 | Northampton County | 314,299 | $82,201 | $317,275 |
| 7 | Butler County | 194,562 | $82,932 | $298,334 |
| 8 | Cumberland County | 261,269 | $82,849 | $305,102 |
| 9 | Monroe County | 168,128 | $80,656 | $285,994 |
| 10 | Lehigh County | 374,110 | $74,973 | $310,307 |
| 11 | Adams County | 104,604 | $78,975 | $290,324 |
| 12 | Pike County | 58,996 | $76,416 | $275,074 |
| 13 | York County | 457,051 | $79,183 | $269,236 |
| 14 | Centre County | 158,665 | $70,087 | $316,218 |
| 15 | Berks County | 428,483 | $74,617 | $271,427 |
| 16 | Perry County | 45,941 | $76,103 | $264,490 |
| 17 | Lebanon County | 143,258 | $72,532 | $270,831 |
| 18 | Montour County | 18,165 | $72,626 | $258,843 |
| 19 | Franklin County | 156,084 | $71,808 | $259,175 |
| 20 | Dauphin County | 286,108 | $71,046 | $242,913 |
| 21 | Allegheny County | 1,245,310 | $72,537 | $217,423 |
| 22 | Washington County | 209,631 | $74,403 | $210,192 |
| 23 | Union County | 42,908 | $64,914 | $258,420 |
| 24 | Carbon County | 65,018 | $64,538 | $241,821 |
| 25 | Wyoming County | 26,219 | $67,968 | $213,443 |
| 26 | Snyder County | 39,797 | $65,914 | $212,057 |
| 27 | Sullivan County | 5,880 | $62,910 | $225,717 |
| 28 | Wayne County | 51,227 | $59,240 | $281,468 |
| 29 | Lycoming County | 114,022 | $63,437 | $212,225 |
| 30 | Westmoreland County | 354,414 | $69,454 | $187,630 |
| 31 | Susquehanna County | 38,540 | $63,968 | $206,779 |
| 32 | Fulton County | 14,545 | $63,153 | $211,632 |
| 33 | Lackawanna County | 215,672 | $63,739 | $199,359 |
| 34 | Juniata County | 23,535 | $61,915 | $211,246 |
| 35 | Beaver County | 167,629 | $67,194 | $170,207 |
| 36 | Columbia County | 64,924 | $59,457 | $215,730 |
| 37 | Tioga County | 41,186 | $59,707 | $200,329 |
| 38 | Luzerne County | 325,396 | $60,836 | $190,308 |
| 39 | Greene County | 35,781 | $66,283 | $141,603 |
| 40 | Huntingdon County | 44,123 | $61,300 | $180,687 |
| 41 | Bradford County | 60,159 | $60,650 | $185,844 |
| 42 | Philadelphia County | 1,593,208 | $57,537 | $216,200 |
| 43 | Erie County | 270,495 | $59,396 | $185,124 |
| 44 | Bedford County | 47,613 | $58,337 | $192,282 |
| 45 | Schuylkill County | 143,201 | $63,574 | $130,539 |
| 46 | Blair County | 122,640 | $59,386 | $167,493 |
| 47 | Clinton County | 37,860 | $59,011 | $178,769 |
| 48 | Armstrong County | 65,538 | $61,011 | $145,806 |
| 49 | Mifflin County | 46,146 | $58,012 | $166,210 |
| 50 | Crawford County | 83,876 | $58,734 | $151,371 |
| 51 | Elk County | 30,886 | $61,672 | $115,538 |
| 52 | Somerset County | 73,802 | $57,357 | $160,870 |
| 53 | Mercer County | 110,600 | $57,353 | $163,652 |
| 54 | Lawrence County | 85,907 | $57,585 | $147,789 |
| 55 | Venango County | 50,475 | $59,278 | $120,981 |
| 56 | Warren County | 38,492 | $57,925 | $135,564 |
| 57 | Indiana County | 83,394 | $57,170 | $149,922 |
| 58 | Clarion County | 37,489 | $58,690 | $120,587 |
| 59 | Potter County | 16,390 | $56,491 | $141,342 |
| 60 | Mckean County | 40,459 | $57,861 | $104,526 |
| 61 | Clearfield County | 79,707 | $56,982 | $123,353 |
| 62 | Northumberland County | 91,340 | $55,952 | $133,705 |
| 63 | Fayette County | 128,417 | $55,579 | $134,947 |
| 64 | Jefferson County | 44,326 | $56,607 | $105,242 |
| 65 | Cambria County | 133,263 | $54,221 | $104,935 |
| 66 | Forest County | 6,959 | $46,188 | $89,323 |
| 67 | Cameron County | 4,536 | $46,186 | $74,919 |