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 Maryland using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the Census' 2020 5-year estimate median household income.
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#24. Howard County
- Median household income: $124,042
--- 42.5% above state average, 90.9% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 60.5%
--- #6 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 4.4%
--- #3,137 highest among all counties nationwide
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#23. Calvert County
- Median household income: $112,696
--- 29.4% above state average, 73.4% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 57.1%
--- #15 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 4.0%
--- #3,126 highest among all counties nationwide
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#22. Montgomery County
- Median household income: $111,812
--- 28.4% above state average, 72.0% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 55.4%
--- #21 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 5.2%
--- #3,123 highest among all counties nationwide
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#21. Charles County
- Median household income: $103,678
--- 19.1% above state average, 59.5% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 52.2%
--- #32 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 4.9%
--- #3,104 highest among all counties nationwide
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#20. Anne Arundel County
- Median household income: $103,225
--- 18.6% above state average, 58.8% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 51.9%
--- #37 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 4.1%
--- #3,101 highest among all counties nationwide
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#19. Frederick County
- Median household income: $100,685
--- 15.6% above state average, 54.9% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 50.3%
--- #47 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 4.8%
--- #3,097 highest among all counties nationwide
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#18. Carroll County
- Median household income: $99,569
--- 14.4% above state average, 53.2% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 49.8%
--- #51 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 4.4%
--- #3,093 highest among all counties nationwide
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#17. Queen Anne's County
- Median household income: $96,467
--- 10.8% above state average, 48.4% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 47.8%
--- #65 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 5.9%
--- #3,082 highest among all counties nationwide
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#16. St. Mary's County
- Median household income: $95,864
--- 10.1% above state average, 47.5% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 48.1%
--- #61 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 5.7%
--- #3,079 highest among all counties nationwide
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#15. Harford County
- Median household income: $94,003
--- 8.0% above state average, 44.6% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 46.9%
--- #70 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.6%
--- #3,074 highest among all counties nationwide
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#14. Prince George's County
- Median household income: $86,994
--- 0.1% below state average, 33.8% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 42.8%
--- #119 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.2%
--- #3,027 highest among all counties nationwide
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#13. Cecil County
- Median household income: $79,415
--- 8.8% below state average, 22.2% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 36.8%
--- #239 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.5%
--- #2,942 highest among all counties nationwide
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#12. Baltimore County
- Median household income: $78,724
--- 9.6% below state average, 21.1% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 38.6%
--- #197 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.9%
--- #2,930 highest among all counties nationwide
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#11. Talbot County
- Median household income: $73,102
--- 16.0% below state average, 12.5% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 33.9%
--- #317 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.9%
--- #2,851 highest among all counties nationwide
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#10. Worcester County
- Median household income: $65,396
--- 24.9% below state average, 0.6% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 29.1%
--- #542 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.7%
--- #2,587 highest among all counties nationwide
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#9. Washington County
- Median household income: $63,510
--- 27.1% below state average, 2.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 29.0%
--- #547 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.5%
--- #2,479 highest among all counties nationwide
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#8. Wicomico County
- Median household income: $60,366
--- 30.7% below state average, 7.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 25.8%
--- #791 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.7%
--- #2,277 highest among all counties nationwide
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#7. Kent County
- Median household income: $60,208
--- 30.8% below state average, 7.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 30.7%
--- #446 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.7%
--- #2,266 highest among all counties nationwide
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#6. Caroline County
- Median household income: $59,042
--- 32.2% below state average, 9.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 25.7%
--- #805 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.9%
--- #2,155 highest among all counties nationwide
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#5. Garrett County
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#4. Dorchester County
- Median household income: $52,799
--- 39.4% below state average, 18.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 20.7%
--- #1,492 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.0%
--- #1,566 highest among all counties nationwide
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#3. Baltimore
- Median household income: $52,164
--- 40.1% below state average, 19.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 24.1%
--- #983 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 16.9%
--- #1,495 highest among all counties nationwide
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#2. Allegany County
- Median household income: $49,449
--- 43.2% below state average, 23.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.5%
--- #2,226 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.5%
--- #1,148 highest among all counties nationwide
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#1. Somerset County
- Median household income: $44,980
--- 48.3% below state average, 30.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.0%
--- #2,330 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 17.7%
--- #733 highest among all counties nationwide
