You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Maryland.
The median household income in Howard County, the richest county in Maryland is $149,763, 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 24 counties in the Old Line State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In Maryland For 2026
What is the richest county in Maryland? The richest county in Maryland is Howard County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Allegany County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Maryland. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Maryland and the cheapest places to live in Maryland.
The Richest Counties In Maryland For 2026
1. Howard County
Biggest Place: Columbia
Population: 336,328
Median Income: $149,763 (highest)
Median Home Price: $636,617 (highest)
More on Howard County: Data
2. Montgomery County
Biggest Place: Germantown
Population: 1,065,949
Median Income: $132,450 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $622,526 (2nd highest)
More on Montgomery County: Data
3. Anne Arundel County
Biggest Place: Glen Burnie
Population: 598,166
Median Income: $124,911 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $505,791 (3rd highest)
More on Anne Arundel County: Data
4. Calvert County
Biggest Place: Chesapeake Ranch Estates
Population: 94,313
Median Income: $133,922 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $483,000 (7th highest)
More on Calvert County: Data
5. Frederick County
Biggest Place: Frederick
Population: 287,048
Median Income: $122,002 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $503,055 (4th highest)
More on Frederick County: Data
6. Charles County
Biggest Place: Waldorf
Population: 170,527
Median Income: $122,816 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $450,316 (9th highest)
More on Charles County: Data
7. Carroll County
Biggest Place: Eldersburg
Population: 175,321
Median Income: $118,211 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $490,460 (6th highest)
More on Carroll County: Data
8. Queen Anne’s County
Biggest Place: Stevensville
Population: 51,825
Median Income: $112,826 (9th highest)
Median Home Price: $473,504 (8th highest)
More on Queen Anne’s County: Data
9. Talbot County
Biggest Place: Easton
Population: 37,917
Median Income: $84,811 (14th highest)
Median Home Price: $493,297 (5th highest)
More on Talbot County: Data
10. St. Mary’s County
Biggest Place: Lexington Park
Population: 115,126
Median Income: $119,446 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $417,117 (12th highest)
More on St. Mary’s County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Maryland county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Maryland, 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 Maryland for each of the criteria from one to 24, 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 Maryland.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Old Line State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Maryland. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Maryland For 2026
Living in Maryland 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 Maryland are Howard County, Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, Calvert County, Frederick County, Charles County, Carroll County, Queen Anne’s County, Talbot County, and St. Mary’s 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 Maryland according to the data:
- Allegany County
- Somerset County
- Baltimore City
For more Maryland reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Maryland
- Best Counties To Live In Maryland
- Safest Places In Maryland
- Cheapest Places To Live In Maryland
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Maryland
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Howard County | 336,328 | $149,763 | $636,617 |
| 2 | Montgomery County | 1,065,949 | $132,450 | $622,526 |
| 3 | Anne Arundel County | 598,166 | $124,911 | $505,791 |
| 4 | Calvert County | 94,313 | $133,922 | $483,000 |
| 5 | Frederick County | 287,048 | $122,002 | $503,055 |
| 6 | Charles County | 170,527 | $122,816 | $450,316 |
| 7 | Carroll County | 175,321 | $118,211 | $490,460 |
| 8 | Queen Anne’s County | 51,825 | $112,826 | $473,504 |
| 9 | Talbot County | 37,917 | $84,811 | $493,297 |
| 10 | St. Mary’s County | 115,126 | $119,446 | $417,117 |
| 11 | Prince George’s County | 959,754 | $101,798 | $435,947 |
| 12 | Harford County | 263,757 | $112,265 | $416,735 |
| 13 | Worcester County | 53,700 | $81,745 | $422,343 |
| 14 | Cecil County | 104,960 | $92,007 | $379,572 |
| 15 | Baltimore County | 850,796 | $91,768 | $360,187 |
| 16 | Kent County | 19,346 | $80,147 | $382,204 |
| 17 | Washington County | 155,709 | $77,747 | $327,978 |
| 18 | Caroline County | 33,669 | $68,457 | $328,465 |
| 19 | Garrett County | 28,615 | $67,688 | $333,182 |
| 20 | Wicomico County | 104,914 | $76,210 | $273,211 |
| 21 | Dorchester County | 32,754 | $61,839 | $274,400 |
| 22 | Baltimore City | 573,243 | $62,177 | $234,961 |
| 23 | Somerset County | 24,822 | $64,943 | $204,514 |
| 24 | Allegany County | 67,452 | $59,603 | $151,211 |