Lowest-earning counties in Indiana
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 Indiana using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the Census' 2020 5-year estimate median household income.
#50. Gibson County
--- 2.7% below state average, 12.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 22.5%
--- #1,196 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.5%
--- #1,945 highest among all counties nationwide
#49. Wabash County
--- 2.9% below state average, 13.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 17.6%
--- #2,035 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.8%
--- #1,943 highest among all counties nationwide
#48. Montgomery County
--- 3.1% below state average, 13.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 22.5%
--- #1,196 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.8%
--- #1,928 highest among all counties nationwide
#47. Howard County
--- 3.2% below state average, 13.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 22.0%
--- #1,268 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.0%
--- #1,927 highest among all counties nationwide
#46. Carroll County
--- 3.6% below state average, 13.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 22.8%
--- #1,158 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 5.6%
--- #1,911 highest among all counties nationwide
#45. Parke County
--- 4.1% below state average, 14.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.0%
--- #1,784 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.0%
--- #1,884 highest among all counties nationwide
#44. Martin County
--- 4.9% below state average, 14.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.3%
--- #1,902 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.5%
--- #1,839 highest among all counties nationwide
#43. Union County
--- 5.1% below state average, 14.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.6%
--- #1,333 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 4.7%
--- #1,826 highest among all counties nationwide
#42. Jackson County
--- 5.4% below state average, 15.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.6%
--- #1,333 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.2%
--- #1,816 highest among all counties nationwide
#41. Pike County
--- 5.5% below state average, 15.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.6%
--- #1,333 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.6%
--- #1,803 highest among all counties nationwide
#40. St. Joseph County
--- 6.5% below state average, 16.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 22.3%
--- #1,234 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.7%
--- #1,741 highest among all counties nationwide
#39. Vermillion County
--- 6.7% below state average, 16.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.0%
--- #2,330 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.6%
--- #1,734 highest among all counties nationwide
#38. Huntington County
--- 6.8% below state average, 16.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.4%
--- #1,721 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.7%
--- #1,727 highest among all counties nationwide
#37. Marshall County
--- 6.9% below state average, 16.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 20.1%
--- #1,587 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.4%
--- #1,716 highest among all counties nationwide
#36. White County
--- 7.5% below state average, 17.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.4%
--- #1,721 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.5%
--- #1,682 highest among all counties nationwide
#35. Daviess County
--- 7.6% below state average, 17.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 22.4%
--- #1,216 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.8%
--- #1,672 highest among all counties nationwide
#34. Clinton County
--- 7.7% below state average, 17.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.4%
--- #2,247 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.5%
--- #1,666 highest among all counties nationwide
#33. Randolph County
--- 8.4% below state average, 18.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.4%
--- #2,242 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.4%
--- #1,621 highest among all counties nationwide
#32. Adams County
--- 9.5% below state average, 18.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 17.5%
--- #2,042 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.6%
--- #1,559 highest among all counties nationwide
#31. Benton County
--- 9.6% below state average, 19.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.6%
--- #1,855 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.9%
--- #1,555 highest among all counties nationwide
#30. Fountain County
--- 10.1% below state average, 19.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.1%
--- #2,490 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.8%
--- #1,523 highest among all counties nationwide
#29. Monroe County
--- 10.3% below state average, 19.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 23.3%
--- #1,080 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.7%
--- #1,506 highest among all counties nationwide
#28. Owen County
--- 10.4% below state average, 19.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 14.8%
--- #2,532 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.2%
--- #1,501 highest among all counties nationwide
#27. Orange County
--- 10.4% below state average, 19.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.9%
--- #2,170 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.5%
--- #1,496 highest among all counties nationwide
#26. Jefferson County
--- 10.7% below state average, 20.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.1%
--- #1,948 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.7%
--- #1,464 highest among all counties nationwide
#25. Tippecanoe County
--- 10.8% below state average, 20.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 22.6%
--- #1,179 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.5%
--- #1,456 highest among all counties nationwide
#24. Greene County
--- 11.1% below state average, 20.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.0%
--- #2,330 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.7%
--- #1,436 highest among all counties nationwide
#23. Perry County
--- 11.6% below state average, 20.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.0%
--- #1,961 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.7%
--- #1,384 highest among all counties nationwide
#22. Madison County
--- 11.6% below state average, 20.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.2%
--- #1,933 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.8%
--- #1,382 highest among all counties nationwide
#21. Switzerland County
--- 12.0% below state average, 21.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.7%
--- #2,395 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 15.6%
--- #1,361 highest among all counties nationwide
#20. Marion County
--- 12.0% below state average, 21.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.4%
--- #1,376 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.7%
--- #1,352 highest among all counties nationwide
#19. Vanderburgh County
--- 12.1% below state average, 21.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.3%
--- #1,734 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.7%
--- #1,345 highest among all counties nationwide
#18. Henry County
--- 12.2% below state average, 21.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.7%
--- #2,196 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.3%
--- #1,330 highest among all counties nationwide
#17. Miami County
--- 13.1% below state average, 22.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.7%
--- #2,200 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.1%
--- #1,277 highest among all counties nationwide
#16. Fulton County
--- 13.1% below state average, 22.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.6%
--- #1,868 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.1%
--- #1,275 highest among all counties nationwide
#15. Washington County
--- 13.4% below state average, 22.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.3%
--- #1,734 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.9%
--- #1,266 highest among all counties nationwide
#14. Starke County
--- 14.6% below state average, 23.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.2%
--- #2,294 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.7%
--- #1,178 highest among all counties nationwide
#13. Sullivan County
--- 15.1% below state average, 23.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.4%
--- #2,247 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.4%
--- #1,149 highest among all counties nationwide
#12. Pulaski County
--- 15.6% below state average, 24.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.3%
--- #2,267 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.8%
--- #1,116 highest among all counties nationwide
#11. Cass County
--- 15.8% below state average, 24.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.8%
--- #2,377 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.6%
--- #1,105 highest among all counties nationwide
#10. Wayne County
--- 18.0% below state average, 26.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.5%
--- #2,226 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.4%
--- #979 highest among all counties nationwide
#9. Fayette County
--- 18.5% below state average, 27.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 14.1%
--- #2,634 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.1%
--- #954 highest among all counties nationwide
#8. Knox County
--- 18.6% below state average, 27.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.8%
--- #1,834 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.0%
--- #945 highest among all counties nationwide
#7. Vigo County
--- 18.8% below state average, 27.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 17.2%
--- #2,104 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.4%
--- #936 highest among all counties nationwide
#6. Grant County
--- 19.5% below state average, 27.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.0%
--- #1,961 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.8%
--- #901 highest among all counties nationwide
#5. Delaware County
--- 21.2% below state average, 29.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.0%
--- #2,330 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 16.0%
--- #811 highest among all counties nationwide
#4. Jay County
--- 21.2% below state average, 29.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 14.4%
--- #2,591 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.0%
--- #807 highest among all counties nationwide
#3. Scott County
--- 22.5% below state average, 30.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.5%
--- #2,226 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.6%
--- #744 highest among all counties nationwide
#2. Blackford County
--- 23.9% below state average, 31.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 13.6%
--- #2,699 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 16.2%
--- #679 highest among all counties nationwide
#1. Crawford County
--- 28.3% below state average, 35.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 10.5%
--- #2,989 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 15.7%
--- #466 highest among all counties nationwide