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 Massachusetts 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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#14. Nantucket County
- Median household income: $112,306
--- 33.1% above state average, 72.8% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 54.7%
--- #23 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 3.4%
--- #3,125 highest among all counties nationwide
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#13. Middlesex County
- Median household income: $106,202
--- 25.9% above state average, 63.4% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 52.9%
--- #28 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.8%
--- #3,116 highest among all counties nationwide
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#12. Norfolk County
- Median household income: $105,320
--- 24.8% above state average, 62.0% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 52.6%
--- #30 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.4%
--- #3,112 highest among all counties nationwide
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#11. Plymouth County
- Median household income: $92,906
--- 10.1% above state average, 42.9% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 46.6%
--- #75 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.7%
--- #3,066 highest among all counties nationwide
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#10. Essex County
- Median household income: $82,225
--- 2.6% below state average, 26.5% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 41.5%
--- #141 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.6%
--- #2,973 highest among all counties nationwide
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#9. Dukes County
- Median household income: $77,318
--- 8.4% below state average, 19.0% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 38.2%
--- #211 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 5.6%
--- #2,922 highest among all counties nationwide
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#8. Worcester County
- Median household income: $77,155
--- 8.6% below state average, 18.7% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 39.0%
--- #189 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.8%
--- #2,919 highest among all counties nationwide
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#7. Barnstable County
- Median household income: $76,863
--- 8.9% below state average, 18.3% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 38.0%
--- #217 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.4%
--- #2,914 highest among all counties nationwide
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#6. Suffolk County
- Median household income: $74,881
--- 11.3% below state average, 15.2% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 39.0%
--- #189 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 15.1%
--- #2,878 highest among all counties nationwide
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#5. Hampshire County
- Median household income: $73,518
--- 12.9% below state average, 13.1% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 36.2%
--- #255 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.6%
--- #2,856 highest among all counties nationwide
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#4. Bristol County
- Median household income: $71,450
--- 15.3% below state average, 9.9% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 34.7%
--- #289 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.0%
--- #2,804 highest among all counties nationwide
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#3. Berkshire County
- Median household income: $62,166
--- 26.3% below state average, 4.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 28.4%
--- #587 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.4%
--- #2,406 highest among all counties nationwide
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#2. Franklin County
- Median household income: $61,198
--- 27.5% below state average, 5.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 26.7%
--- #717 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.2%
--- #2,331 highest among all counties nationwide
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#1. Hampden County
- Median household income: $57,623
--- 31.7% below state average, 11.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 27.5%
--- #659 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.1%
--- #2,051 highest among all counties nationwide
