You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Alabama.
The median household income in Shelby County, the richest county in Alabama is $97,961, 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 Heart Of Dixie. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In Alabama For 2026
What is the richest county in Alabama? The richest county in Alabama is Shelby County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Sumter County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Alabama. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Alabama and the cheapest places to live in Alabama.
The Richest Counties In Alabama For 2026
1. Shelby County
Biggest Place: Birmingham
Population: 230,211
Median Income: $97,961 (highest)
Median Home Price: $359,369 (2nd highest)
More on Shelby County: Data
2. Baldwin County
Biggest Place: Daphne
Population: 246,989
Median Income: $78,775 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $369,802 (highest)
More on Baldwin County: Data
3. Madison County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 405,718
Median Income: $86,499 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $311,718 (5th highest)
More on Madison County: Data
4. Limestone County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 111,233
Median Income: $83,629 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $319,479 (4th highest)
More on Limestone County: Data
5. Elmore County
Biggest Place: Prattville
Population: 89,526
Median Income: $78,243 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $269,858 (6th highest)
More on Elmore County: Data
6. Autauga County
Biggest Place: Prattville
Population: 59,947
Median Income: $72,481 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $260,499 (8th highest)
More on Autauga County: Data
7. Lee County
Biggest Place: Auburn
Population: 181,134
Median Income: $65,824 (13th highest)
Median Home Price: $344,150 (3rd highest)
More on Lee County: Data
8. St. Clair County
Biggest Place: Trussville
Population: 94,166
Median Income: $77,463 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $254,927 (10th highest)
More on St. Clair County: Data
9. Morgan County
Biggest Place: Decatur
Population: 124,471
Median Income: $68,845 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $234,071 (12th highest)
More on Morgan County: Data
10. Cullman County
Biggest Place: Cullman
Population: 90,566
Median Income: $62,656 (16th highest)
Median Home Price: $255,134 (9th highest)
More on Cullman County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Alabama county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Alabama, 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 Alabama 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 Alabama.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Heart Of Dixie.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Alabama. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Alabama For 2026
Living in Alabama 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 Alabama are Shelby County, Baldwin County, Madison County, Limestone County, Elmore County, Autauga County, Lee County, St. Clair County, Morgan County, and Cullman 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 Alabama according to the data:
- Sumter County
- Dallas County
- Bullock County
For more Alabama reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Alabama
- Best Places To Live In Alabama
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alabama
- Best Counties To Live In Alabama
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Alabama
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelby County | 230,211 | $97,961 | $359,369 |
| 2 | Baldwin County | 246,989 | $78,775 | $369,802 |
| 3 | Madison County | 405,718 | $86,499 | $311,718 |
| 4 | Limestone County | 111,233 | $83,629 | $319,479 |
| 5 | Elmore County | 89,526 | $78,243 | $269,858 |
| 6 | Autauga County | 59,947 | $72,481 | $260,499 |
| 7 | Lee County | 181,134 | $65,824 | $344,150 |
| 8 | St. Clair County | 94,166 | $77,463 | $254,927 |
| 9 | Morgan County | 124,471 | $68,845 | $234,071 |
| 10 | Cullman County | 90,566 | $62,656 | $255,134 |
| 11 | Tuscaloosa County | 237,552 | $66,231 | $229,615 |
| 12 | Blount County | 59,518 | $64,190 | $230,361 |
| 13 | Marshall County | 99,748 | $62,571 | $241,701 |
| 14 | Lawrence County | 33,276 | $66,071 | $223,086 |
| 15 | Jefferson County | 667,755 | $66,388 | $215,143 |
| 16 | Tallapoosa County | 40,938 | $59,356 | $269,000 |
| 17 | Chilton County | 45,992 | $65,603 | $217,252 |
| 18 | Lauderdale County | 95,830 | $62,649 | $223,857 |
| 19 | Cleburne County | 15,426 | $55,345 | $230,137 |
| 20 | Colbert County | 58,022 | $60,628 | $197,333 |
| 21 | Coffee County | 54,920 | $68,353 | $175,287 |
| 22 | Houston County | 108,140 | $58,626 | $200,765 |
| 23 | Henry County | 17,647 | $59,931 | $190,851 |
| 24 | Cherokee County | 25,443 | $53,863 | $225,415 |
| 25 | Winston County | 23,682 | $57,256 | $202,083 |
| 26 | Mobile County | 412,590 | $58,880 | $194,292 |
| 27 | Talladega County | 81,021 | $57,776 | $181,264 |
| 28 | Washington County | 15,143 | $61,042 | $169,324 |
| 29 | Bibb County | 22,130 | $52,541 | $214,089 |
| 30 | Coosa County | 10,300 | $57,355 | $180,902 |
| 31 | Clay County | 14,192 | $55,250 | $181,444 |
| 32 | Randolph County | 22,510 | $52,338 | $205,008 |
| 33 | Montgomery County | 226,718 | $59,386 | $164,623 |
| 34 | Etowah County | 103,105 | $54,563 | $180,673 |
| 35 | Russell County | 58,811 | $51,197 | $196,108 |
| 36 | Jackson County | 53,053 | $51,908 | $191,414 |
| 37 | Calhoun County | 116,090 | $55,029 | $171,219 |
| 38 | Franklin County | 31,966 | $53,338 | $176,948 |
| 39 | Dale County | 49,599 | $54,963 | $159,481 |
| 40 | Dekalb County | 72,269 | $51,204 | $172,016 |
| 41 | Geneva County | 26,887 | $52,771 | $162,100 |
| 42 | Covington County | 37,628 | $52,456 | $156,569 |
| 43 | Marion County | 29,184 | $50,088 | $159,893 |
| 44 | Walker County | 64,841 | $56,509 | $131,099 |
| 45 | Pike County | 32,987 | $48,677 | $164,687 |
| 46 | Fayette County | 16,053 | $49,488 | $145,035 |
| 47 | Hale County | 14,829 | $39,250 | $176,170 |
| 48 | Chambers County | 34,192 | $49,656 | $141,428 |
| 49 | Barbour County | 24,643 | $46,042 | $148,559 |
| 50 | Escambia County | 36,629 | $48,225 | $142,991 |
| 51 | Lamar County | 13,693 | $50,000 | $133,415 |
| 52 | Pickens County | 18,721 | $46,274 | $143,707 |
| 53 | Crenshaw County | 13,122 | $48,560 | $138,753 |
| 54 | Clarke County | 22,543 | $49,249 | $136,490 |
| 55 | Marengo County | 18,851 | $43,825 | $138,311 |
| 56 | Lowndes County | 9,833 | $37,052 | $143,773 |
| 57 | Wilcox County | 10,172 | $40,640 | $140,996 |
| 58 | Monroe County | 19,388 | $42,292 | $137,223 |
| 59 | Choctaw County | 12,380 | $47,813 | $128,420 |
| 60 | Macon County | 18,691 | $43,707 | $128,355 |
| 61 | Butler County | 18,630 | $44,755 | $113,979 |
| 62 | Perry County | 8,031 | $37,654 | $128,589 |
| 63 | Conecuh County | 11,275 | $41,327 | $126,368 |
| 64 | Greene County | 7,424 | $29,200 | $132,681 |
| 65 | Bullock County | 10,058 | $31,310 | $125,152 |
| 66 | Dallas County | 36,858 | $35,627 | $89,767 |
| 67 | Sumter County | 11,878 | $33,310 | $102,028 |