You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in California.
The median household income in San Mateo County, the richest county in California is $156,000, 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 58 counties in the Golden State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In California For 2025
- San Mateo County
- Santa Clara County
- Marin County
- San Francisco County
- Alameda County
- Orange County
- Contra Costa County
- Santa Cruz County
- Napa County
- Placer County
What is the richest county in California? The richest county in California is San Mateo County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Modoc County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in California. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in California and the cheapest places to live in California.
The Richest Counties In California For 2025
1. San Mateo County
Biggest Place: San Mateo
Population: 745,100
Median Income: $156,000 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $1,494,500 (highest)
More on San Mateo County:
2. Santa Clara County
Biggest Place: San Jose
Population: 1,903,297
Median Income: $159,674 (highest)
Median Home Price: $1,382,800 (3rd highest)
More on Santa Clara County:
3. Marin County
Biggest Place: San Rafael
Population: 258,765
Median Income: $142,785 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $1,390,000 (2nd highest)
More on Marin County:
4. San Francisco County
Biggest Place: San Francisco
Population: 836,321
Median Income: $141,446 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $1,380,500 (4th highest)
More on San Francisco County:
5. Alameda County
Biggest Place: Oakland
Population: 1,651,949
Median Income: $126,240 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $1,057,400 (5th highest)
More on Alameda County:
6. Orange County
Biggest Place: Anaheim
Population: 3,164,063
Median Income: $113,702 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $915,500 (7th highest)
More on Orange County:
7. Contra Costa County
Biggest Place: Concord
Population: 1,161,458
Median Income: $125,727 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $830,800 (9th highest)
More on Contra Costa County:
8. Santa Cruz County
Biggest Place: Santa Cruz
Population: 266,021
Median Income: $109,266 (10th highest)
Median Home Price: $1,015,200 (6th highest)
More on Santa Cruz County:
9. Napa County
Biggest Place: Napa
Population: 136,070
Median Income: $108,970 (11th highest)
Median Home Price: $838,800 (8th highest)
More on Napa County:
10. Placer County
Biggest Place: Roseville
Population: 412,435
Median Income: $114,678 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $658,800 (18th highest)
More on Placer County:
Methodology: How do you determine which California county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in California, 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 California for each of the criteria from one to 58, 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 California.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Golden State.
We updated this article for 2025. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in California. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In California For 2025
Living in California 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 California are San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, Marin County, San Francisco County, Alameda County, Orange County, Contra Costa County, Santa Cruz County, Napa County, and Placer 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 California according to the data:
- Modoc County
- Siskiyou County
- Imperial County
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In California
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Safest Places In California
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In California
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Mateo County | 745,100 | $156,000 | $1,494,500 |
| 2 | Santa Clara County | 1,903,297 | $159,674 | $1,382,800 |
| 3 | Marin County | 258,765 | $142,785 | $1,390,000 |
| 4 | San Francisco County | 836,321 | $141,446 | $1,380,500 |
| 5 | Alameda County | 1,651,949 | $126,240 | $1,057,400 |
| 6 | Orange County | 3,164,063 | $113,702 | $915,500 |
| 7 | Contra Costa County | 1,161,458 | $125,727 | $830,800 |
| 8 | Santa Cruz County | 266,021 | $109,266 | $1,015,200 |
| 9 | Napa County | 136,070 | $108,970 | $838,800 |
| 10 | Placer County | 412,435 | $114,678 | $658,800 |
| 11 | San Diego County | 3,282,782 | $102,285 | $791,600 |
| 12 | Ventura County | 838,259 | $107,327 | $768,400 |
| 13 | Sonoma County | 485,642 | $102,840 | $779,000 |
| 14 | San Benito County | 66,056 | $108,289 | $751,500 |
| 15 | San Luis Obispo County | 281,486 | $93,398 | $777,200 |
| 16 | El Dorado County | 192,299 | $106,190 | $640,500 |
| 17 | Santa Barbara County | 443,975 | $95,977 | $735,700 |
| 18 | Los Angeles County | 9,848,406 | $87,760 | $783,300 |
| 19 | Monterey County | 435,834 | $94,486 | $723,100 |
| 20 | Alpine County | 1,695 | $110,781 | $466,100 |
| 21 | Solano County | 450,824 | $99,994 | $589,600 |
| 22 | Yolo County | 217,782 | $88,818 | $593,800 |
| 23 | Riverside County | 2,449,909 | $89,672 | $510,300 |
| 24 | Nevada County | 102,452 | $84,905 | $602,800 |
| 25 | Sacramento County | 1,584,047 | $88,724 | $498,900 |
| 26 | Mono County | 13,169 | $86,953 | $514,300 |
| 27 | San Joaquin County | 787,416 | $88,531 | $494,500 |
| 28 | San Bernardino County | 2,187,816 | $82,184 | $475,000 |
| 29 | Calaveras County | 45,995 | $79,877 | $441,800 |
| 30 | Amador County | 41,029 | $81,526 | $422,800 |
| 31 | Stanislaus County | 552,250 | $79,661 | $426,600 |
| 32 | Sutter County | 98,971 | $75,450 | $399,400 |
| 33 | Yuba County | 83,079 | $73,313 | $380,000 |
| 34 | Madera County | 158,790 | $75,496 | $367,700 |
| 35 | Tuolumne County | 54,873 | $72,259 | $406,200 |
| 36 | Colusa County | 21,895 | $75,149 | $375,100 |
| 37 | Mendocino County | 90,709 | $64,688 | $486,000 |
| 38 | Butte County | 209,470 | $68,574 | $408,700 |
| 39 | Fresno County | 1,012,152 | $71,434 | $362,600 |
| 40 | Inyo County | 18,803 | $72,432 | $338,400 |
| 41 | Shasta County | 181,554 | $71,931 | $347,200 |
| 42 | Glenn County | 28,623 | $70,487 | $338,400 |
| 43 | Humboldt County | 135,418 | $61,135 | $418,800 |
| 44 | Merced County | 285,597 | $65,044 | $368,400 |
| 45 | Mariposa County | 17,060 | $65,378 | $358,000 |
| 46 | Del Norte County | 27,293 | $66,780 | $319,600 |
| 47 | Kings County | 152,830 | $68,750 | $305,700 |
| 48 | Tulare County | 475,774 | $69,489 | $303,000 |
| 49 | Kern County | 910,433 | $67,660 | $310,600 |
| 50 | Plumas County | 19,607 | $64,946 | $327,400 |
| 51 | Sierra County | 2,731 | $60,000 | $334,100 |
| 52 | Tehama County | 65,520 | $61,834 | $315,600 |
| 53 | Lake County | 68,139 | $58,738 | $316,800 |
| 54 | Trinity County | 15,886 | $53,498 | $329,000 |
| 55 | Lassen County | 31,177 | $64,395 | $259,500 |
| 56 | Imperial County | 179,319 | $56,393 | $279,500 |
| 57 | Siskiyou County | 43,834 | $55,499 | $284,500 |
| 58 | Modoc County | 8,646 | $56,648 | $212,000 |