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 $127,208, 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 2026
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 2026
1. Chester County
Biggest Place: West Chester
Population: 547,840
Median Income: $127,208 (highest)
Median Home Price: $571,119 (highest)
More on Chester County: Data
2. Bucks County
Biggest Place: Levittown
Population: 647,461
Median Income: $114,764 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $517,599 (2nd highest)
More on Bucks County: Data
3. Montgomery County
Biggest Place: Norri
Population: 867,573
Median Income: $113,915 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $486,539 (3rd highest)
More on Montgomery County: Data
4. Northampton County
Biggest Place: Bethlehem
Population: 318,580
Median Income: $89,184 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $363,988 (5th highest)
More on Northampton County: Data
5. Delaware County
Biggest Place: Chester
Population: 579,222
Median Income: $89,546 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $362,148 (6th highest)
More on Delaware County: Data
6. Lancaster County
Biggest Place: Lancaster
Population: 557,931
Median Income: $86,959 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $381,586 (4th highest)
More on Lancaster County: Data
7. Butler County
Biggest Place: Butler
Population: 197,254
Median Income: $89,843 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $309,403 (12th highest)
More on Butler County: Data
8. Cumberland County
Biggest Place: Carlisle
Population: 268,323
Median Income: $87,494 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $345,528 (9th highest)
More on Cumberland County: Data
9. Adams County
Biggest Place: Gettysburg
Population: 106,115
Median Income: $84,092 (10th highest)
Median Home Price: $330,292 (10th highest)
More on Adams County: Data
10. Lehigh County
Biggest Place: Allentown
Population: 378,792
Median Income: $80,079 (13th highest)
Median Home Price: $358,001 (7th 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 2026. 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 2026
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, Northampton County, Delaware County, Lancaster County, Butler County, Cumberland County, Adams 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
- Cambria County
- Forest County
For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Safest Places 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 | 547,840 | $127,208 | $571,119 |
| 2 | Bucks County | 647,461 | $114,764 | $517,599 |
| 3 | Montgomery County | 867,573 | $113,915 | $486,539 |
| 4 | Northampton County | 318,580 | $89,184 | $363,988 |
| 5 | Delaware County | 579,222 | $89,546 | $362,148 |
| 6 | Lancaster County | 557,931 | $86,959 | $381,586 |
| 7 | Butler County | 197,254 | $89,843 | $309,403 |
| 8 | Cumberland County | 268,323 | $87,494 | $345,528 |
| 9 | Adams County | 106,115 | $84,092 | $330,292 |
| 10 | Lehigh County | 378,792 | $80,079 | $358,001 |
| 11 | York County | 462,924 | $84,829 | $305,194 |
| 12 | Monroe County | 167,515 | $83,565 | $309,094 |
| 13 | Berks County | 433,015 | $79,777 | $306,726 |
| 14 | Lebanon County | 144,186 | $78,425 | $312,952 |
| 15 | Pike County | 60,621 | $81,323 | $299,135 |
| 16 | Centre County | 158,576 | $74,291 | $345,528 |
| 17 | Perry County | 46,239 | $79,444 | $289,439 |
| 18 | Franklin County | 157,379 | $77,003 | $287,840 |
| 19 | Union County | 42,456 | $76,404 | $288,803 |
| 20 | Montour County | 18,103 | $76,976 | $274,764 |
| 21 | Allegheny County | 1,238,177 | $78,548 | $237,963 |
| 22 | Washington County | 210,042 | $78,958 | $234,811 |
| 23 | Dauphin County | 289,593 | $76,242 | $275,929 |
| 24 | Carbon County | 65,382 | $67,554 | $262,324 |
| 25 | Susquehanna County | 38,219 | $68,487 | $234,456 |
| 26 | Wyoming County | 25,967 | $72,460 | $222,165 |
| 27 | Columbia County | 65,362 | $64,644 | $238,280 |
| 28 | Juniata County | 23,379 | $66,318 | $226,914 |
| 29 | Westmoreland County | 352,500 | $74,109 | $203,719 |
| 30 | Snyder County | 39,668 | $66,876 | $220,763 |
| 31 | Wayne County | 51,262 | $62,381 | $302,904 |
| 32 | Sullivan County | 5,888 | $69,764 | $206,444 |
| 33 | Fulton County | 14,531 | $65,836 | $226,138 |
| 34 | Beaver County | 166,324 | $71,089 | $200,222 |
| 35 | Lackawanna County | 216,146 | $66,223 | $219,838 |
| 36 | Lycoming County | 113,489 | $63,917 | $228,850 |
| 37 | Tioga County | 40,945 | $64,899 | $216,307 |
| 38 | Schuylkill County | 143,558 | $68,313 | $161,535 |
| 39 | Philadelphia County | 1,579,706 | $61,953 | $231,821 |
| 40 | Luzerne County | 327,675 | $63,691 | $214,820 |
| 41 | Erie County | 269,052 | $63,354 | $216,190 |
| 42 | Huntingdon County | 43,653 | $65,557 | $179,034 |
| 43 | Bradford County | 59,858 | $63,675 | $200,780 |
| 44 | Mifflin County | 46,041 | $63,953 | $190,155 |
| 45 | Greene County | 34,835 | $68,041 | $139,551 |
| 46 | Elk County | 30,506 | $66,380 | $135,581 |
| 47 | Armstrong County | 64,622 | $65,008 | $151,383 |
| 48 | Blair County | 121,277 | $62,382 | $169,523 |
| 49 | Clinton County | 37,798 | $60,816 | $194,173 |
| 50 | Bedford County | 47,513 | $59,992 | $207,380 |
| 51 | Somerset County | 72,799 | $61,446 | $173,653 |
| 52 | Clarion County | 37,179 | $62,649 | $137,887 |
| 53 | Lawrence County | 85,024 | $61,931 | $156,669 |
| 54 | Northumberland County | 90,560 | $60,583 | $160,849 |
| 55 | Mercer County | 109,257 | $59,976 | $172,045 |
| 56 | Indiana County | 83,042 | $60,208 | $161,605 |
| 57 | Crawford County | 82,716 | $60,476 | $157,666 |
| 58 | Clearfield County | 78,635 | $62,152 | $132,928 |
| 59 | Mckean County | 39,904 | $62,905 | $106,462 |
| 60 | Potter County | 16,188 | $59,020 | $159,338 |
| 61 | Venango County | 49,801 | $61,522 | $127,374 |
| 62 | Warren County | 37,920 | $60,480 | $134,885 |
| 63 | Fayette County | 125,997 | $58,236 | $143,352 |
| 64 | Jefferson County | 43,864 | $58,686 | $122,664 |
| 65 | Forest County | 6,715 | $52,191 | $124,211 |
| 66 | Cambria County | 131,538 | $58,418 | $95,549 |
| 67 | Cameron County | 4,427 | $50,573 | $83,507 |