Americans on the whole were doing well financially heading into 2020, with major markers like unemployment reaching 50-year lows. The pandemic changed all that: During the second quarter of the 2020 fiscal year, our nation's real GDP fell by a whopping 31.4%, a number that hasn't been seen since the Great Depression. Since then the GDP has recovered, the first quarter of 2022 was 11% above the fourth quarter of 2019.
While GDP has recovered since the height of the pandemic, wage growth has not kept pace with inflation. In 2021 average hourly wages increased 4.7% while there was 7% inflation, meaning the worker's purchasing power dropped by 2.4%.
Where you live can make a big impact on your financial situation. The highest earning county in the U.S. earns $147,111, while the lowest earns $22,292. Stacker compiled a list of the lowest-earning counties in Arizona using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the Census' 2020 5-year estimate median household income.
You may also like: Fastest-growing counties in Arizona
You may also like: Hottest Januarys in Arizona since 1895
- Median household income: $67,799
--- 10.2% above state average, 4.3% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 31.8%
--- #402 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.1%
--- #2,691 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $66,368
--- 7.9% above state average, 2.1% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 22.9%
--- #1,147 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.2%
--- #2,632 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $60,968
--- 0.9% below state average, 6.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 24.8%
--- #905 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.2%
--- #2,319 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $59,000
--- 4.1% below state average, 9.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 25.0%
--- #891 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.0%
--- #2,152 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $55,693
--- 9.5% below state average, 14.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.4%
--- #1,889 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.3%
--- #1,868 highest among all counties nationwide
You may also like: Arizona is the #5 state with the fewest people living near toxic release facilities
You may also like: Highest-rated scenic drives in Arizona by visitors
- Median household income: $55,023
--- 10.6% below state average, 15.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 23.6%
--- #1,039 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.4%
--- #1,804 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $53,329
--- 13.3% below state average, 17.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 20.1%
--- #1,587 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.3%
--- #1,622 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $51,505
--- 16.3% below state average, 20.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.7%
--- #1,656 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.6%
--- #1,386 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $48,790
--- 20.7% below state average, 24.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.6%
--- #2,216 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.0%
--- #1,077 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $47,686
--- 22.5% below state average, 26.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.8%
--- #2,366 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.3%
--- #975 highest among all counties nationwide
You may also like: Most popular girl names in the 80s in Arizona
You may also like: Highest-rated Class of 2026 men's basketball recruits from Arizona
- Median household income: $46,907
--- 23.8% below state average, 27.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.9%
--- #2,358 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.4%
--- #903 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $43,140
--- 29.9% below state average, 33.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.0%
--- #2,504 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 17.9%
--- #584 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $41,424
--- 32.7% below state average, 36.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.1%
--- #2,306 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 15.8%
--- #442 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $34,956
--- 43.2% below state average, 46.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 9.0%
--- #3,063 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 25.1%
--- #138 highest among all counties nationwide
- Median household income: $33,967
--- 44.8% below state average, 47.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 11.2%
--- #2,949 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 27.4%
--- #118 highest among all counties nationwide
You may also like: Most popular boy names in the 80s in Arizona
You may also like: Highest-rated stouts in Arizona
