You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Tennessee.
The median household income in Williamson County, the richest county in Tennessee is $135,594, 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 94 counties in the Volunteer State. Let’s star gaze together.
What is the richest county in Tennessee? The richest county in Tennessee is Williamson County. In contrast, the poorest county in the state is Lake County, according to the Census data.
$135,594 median income · $925,695 median home price
$95,839 median income · $501,381 median home price
$90,301 median income · $443,791 median home price
$84,185 median income · $444,727 median home price
$85,470 median income · $416,885 median home price
$89,852 median income · $393,931 median home price
$77,853 median income · $432,820 median home price
$88,456 median income · $373,539 median home price
$76,130 median income · $403,962 median home price
$77,365 median income · $390,058 median home price
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Tennessee’s statewide median.
Tennessee statewide median: $69,595
Tennessee statewide median: $333,651
On the map
Where Tennessee’s richest counties are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which Tennessee county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Tennessee, 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 Tennessee for each of the criteria from one to 94, 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 Tennessee.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Volunteer State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Tennessee. The median Tennessee home is 38 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Tennessee
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williamson County | 260,351 | $135,594 | $925,695 |
| 2 | Wilson County | 158,805 | $95,839 | $501,381 |
| 3 | Sumner County | 204,424 | $90,301 | $443,791 |
| 4 | Loudon County | 58,580 | $84,185 | $444,727 |
| 5 | Rutherford County | 360,646 | $85,470 | $416,885 |
| 6 | Cheatham County | 41,829 | $89,852 | $393,931 |
| 7 | Davidson County | 715,388 | $77,853 | $432,820 |
| 8 | Fayette County | 43,267 | $88,456 | $373,539 |
| 9 | Maury County | 107,791 | $76,130 | $403,962 |
| 9 | Blount County | 139,333 | $77,365 | $390,058 |
| 11 | Robertson County | 75,539 | $83,047 | $371,615 |
| 12 | Knox County | 494,148 | $74,222 | $376,196 |
| 12 | Hamilton County | 376,192 | $76,183 | $353,406 |
| 14 | Dickson County | 55,983 | $75,003 | $360,953 |
| 15 | Trousdale County | 11,957 | $72,747 | $347,634 |
| 16 | Montgomery County | 234,153 | $75,613 | $319,063 |
| 17 | Marshall County | 36,049 | $71,049 | $330,153 |
| 18 | Bedford County | 52,237 | $67,225 | $331,981 |
| 19 | Sevier County | 99,652 | $62,581 | $405,646 |
| 20 | Jefferson County | 56,864 | $66,114 | $332,341 |
| 21 | Bradley County | 111,065 | $66,552 | $316,294 |
| 22 | Roane County | 55,208 | $71,885 | $294,451 |
| 22 | Anderson County | 79,153 | $66,183 | $313,015 |
| 24 | Smith County | 20,389 | $66,293 | $306,362 |
| 25 | Franklin County | 43,990 | $63,494 | $316,148 |
| 26 | Tipton County | 61,553 | $74,127 | $273,680 |
| 27 | Washington County | 136,261 | $62,809 | $304,282 |
| 28 | Coffee County | 59,710 | $61,505 | $311,376 |
| 28 | Union County | 20,431 | $62,727 | $289,193 |
| 30 | Cannon County | 14,818 | $59,443 | $324,571 |
| 31 | Lincoln County | 35,946 | $64,667 | $264,661 |
| 32 | Meigs County | 13,343 | $61,375 | $296,450 |
| 32 | Cumberland County | 63,553 | $60,375 | $304,476 |
| 34 | Putnam County | 82,558 | $58,912 | $314,380 |
| 35 | Giles County | 30,620 | $62,307 | $256,692 |
| 36 | Marion County | 29,250 | $61,824 | $258,199 |
| 37 | Sequatchie County | 16,809 | $58,750 | $284,706 |
| 39 | Polk County | 17,898 | $62,522 | $250,709 |
| 39 | Macon County | 26,240 | $59,177 | $265,841 |
| 39 | Monroe County | 47,695 | $56,895 | $283,485 |
| 39 | McMinn County | 54,884 | $61,470 | $256,616 |
| 42 | Stewart County | 14,027 | $63,114 | $240,462 |
| 43 | Humphreys County | 19,214 | $60,616 | $251,841 |
| 44 | Sullivan County | 160,624 | $58,807 | $258,381 |
| 45 | Hickman County | 25,436 | $68,247 | $195,354 |
| 47 | Morgan County | 21,361 | $65,954 | $213,662 |
| 47 | Shelby County | 919,173 | $63,767 | $218,752 |
| 47 | Hamblen County | 65,669 | $55,454 | $272,389 |
| 49 | Rhea County | 33,992 | $55,033 | $261,404 |
| 50 | Lewis County | 12,992 | $56,285 | $253,214 |
| 50 | DeKalb County | 20,959 | $53,153 | $274,066 |
| 52 | Warren County | 42,166 | $55,487 | $256,687 |
| 53 | White County | 28,160 | $52,188 | $279,209 |
| 54 | Greene County | 71,628 | $56,194 | $251,736 |
| 55 | Madison County | 99,295 | $60,042 | $230,027 |
| 56 | Hawkins County | 57,964 | $56,936 | $246,877 |
| 57 | Houston County | 8,353 | $59,576 | $225,090 |
| 59 | Grainger County | 24,266 | $50,538 | $279,053 |
| 59 | Crockett County | 13,944 | $62,165 | $190,969 |
| 59 | Bledsoe County | 15,032 | $54,720 | $251,803 |
| 61 | Gibson County | 50,869 | $62,755 | $177,802 |
| 62 | Lawrence County | 45,385 | $54,706 | $247,471 |
| 63 | Johnson County | 18,196 | $53,129 | $248,688 |
| 64 | Van Buren County | 6,437 | $54,931 | $233,203 |
| 65 | Overton County | 23,065 | $48,959 | $260,911 |
| 66 | Unicoi County | 17,756 | $52,218 | $244,866 |
| 67 | Fentress County | 19,309 | $51,149 | $249,389 |
| 68 | Henderson County | 27,980 | $55,136 | $211,985 |
| 69 | Campbell County | 39,761 | $51,557 | $240,234 |
| 69 | Chester County | 17,611 | $59,341 | $165,037 |
| 71 | Dyer County | 36,508 | $58,154 | $171,209 |
| 72 | Pickett County | 5,079 | $49,030 | $248,096 |
| 73 | Carter County | 56,712 | $50,135 | $236,346 |
| 74 | Perry County | 8,697 | $55,972 | $170,546 |
| 75 | Cocke County | 36,813 | $48,016 | $244,570 |
| 75 | Henry County | 32,412 | $50,613 | $219,605 |
| 77 | Weakley County | 33,016 | $51,880 | $188,642 |
| 78 | Wayne County | 16,168 | $52,294 | $179,072 |
| 78 | Claiborne County | 32,466 | $49,379 | $224,434 |
| 81 | Jackson County | 12,029 | $47,951 | $229,198 |
| 81 | Carroll County | 28,641 | $51,787 | $180,314 |
| 81 | Benton County | 16,006 | $51,746 | $186,163 |
| 83 | Hardin County | 27,249 | $49,956 | $208,542 |
| 83 | McNairy County | 25,970 | $53,473 | $168,779 |
| 85 | Obion County | 30,453 | $54,613 | $162,497 |
| 86 | Clay County | 7,670 | $39,972 | $215,088 |
| 86 | Grundy County | 13,819 | $47,593 | $205,919 |
| 88 | Haywood County | 17,475 | $50,472 | $170,827 |
| 89 | Scott County | 22,113 | $44,711 | $179,780 |
| 90 | Decatur County | 11,579 | $45,375 | $177,069 |
| 90 | Lauderdale County | 24,784 | $49,879 | $133,109 |
| 92 | Hancock County | 6,852 | $34,960 | $178,522 |
| 93 | Hardeman County | 25,433 | $46,069 | $156,488 |
| 94 | Lake County | 6,579 | $28,814 | $112,424 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS + Zillow via Saturday Night Science. All 94 Tennessee counties.
Summary
Summary: The Richest Counties In Tennessee For 2026
Living in Tennessee 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 Tennessee are Williamson County, Wilson County, Sumner County, Loudon County, Rutherford County, Cheatham County, Davidson County, Fayette County, Maury County, and Blount 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. Not sold on Tennessee? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Richest Counties In Tennessee FAQs
What is the richest county in Tennessee?
Williamson County is the richest county in Tennessee for 2026, with a median household income of $135,594. Wilson County and Sumner County are next.
What are the richest counties in Tennessee?
The richest counties in Tennessee are Williamson County, Wilson County, Sumner County, Loudon County, Rutherford County, Cheatham County, Davidson County, Fayette County, Maury County, and Blount County. We ranked all 94 Tennessee counties on average home price and median income.
How much do people make in Williamson County?
The median household in Williamson County earns $135,594 a year, against a Tennessee statewide median of $69,595. The US median household income is $74,580.
What do homes cost in the richest counties of Tennessee?
The median home across the ten richest Tennessee counties is $424,852, versus $333,651 statewide. In Williamson County, the typical home runs $925,695.
What is the poorest county in Tennessee?
Lake County is the poorest county in Tennessee by this ranking, coming in last of the 94 counties we scored on income and home prices.
