With a $23.3 trillion economy – accounting for nearly a quarter of global economic output in 2021 – the United States is the wealthiest country in the world by a wide margin. But despite its economic strength, the U.S. is also home to some of the world’s highest levels of income inequality. According to the World Bank, the wealth gap between the rich and poor in the U.S. is more pronounced than in China, Russia, or any highly developed European country with available data.

The latest available figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that more than 41 million Americans live below the poverty line, which for a single household, for example, means (in most of the country) living on an annual income of $14,580 or less. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, nearly 12.5 million American households earn more than $200,000 a year, and over 23% of all income in the U.S. is controlled by the top 5% of households by earnings.

Of all places in Louisiana with populations between 1,000 and 25,000, Des Allemands ranks as the wealthiest. The average household income in the town stands at $139,761, about $62,700 more than the statewide average.

All data in this story are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey. For the purposes of this story, all places covered by the census with populations between 1,000 and 25,000 were considered towns.

 

Richest town by state Avg. household income in town ($) Avg. household income in state ($) Median home value in town ($) Median home value in state ($)
Alabama: Mountain Brook 249,818 76,150 697,800 157,100
Alaska: Steele Creek 151,203 103,258 274,900 282,800
Arizona: Paradise Valley 359,522 89,693 1,778,000 265,600
Arkansas: Goshen 192,359 73,346 447,300 142,100
California: Atherton 539,944 119,149 2,000,000+ 573,200
Colorado: Cherry Hills Village 464,068 107,446 2,000,000+ 397,500
Connecticut: Tokeneke 611,239 120,670 2,000,000+ 286,700
Delaware: Rehoboth Beach 255,755 97,081 1,186,900 269,700
Florida: Palm Beach 332,764 88,267 1,523,100 248,700
Georgia: Druid Hills 209,785 91,082 698,000 206,700
Hawaii: Kaanapali 223,037 113,310 1,317,100 662,100
Idaho: Hidden Spring 180,783 83,777 523,400 266,500
Illinois: Winnetka 417,007 100,719 1,123,700 212,600
Indiana: Meridian Hills 278,878 81,703 554,900 158,500
Iowa: Kent Estates 172,590 84,948 314,700 160,700
Kansas: Mission Hills 444,346 87,033 963,400 164,800
Kentucky: Anchorage 305,118 76,511 707,100 155,100
Louisiana: Des Allemands 139,761 77,025 122,800 174,000
Maine: Falmouth Foreside 204,669 83,914 581,300 212,100
Maryland: Chevy Chase Village 489,515 120,234 1,938,800 338,500
Massachusetts: Dover 432,571 123,174 1,020,700 424,700
Michigan: Orchard Lake Village 355,008 85,727 727,100 172,100
Minnesota: Orono 306,372 102,691 766,700 250,200
Mississippi: Pleasant Hill 187,029 68,636 269,500 133,000
Missouri: Ladue 384,815 83,152 844,700 171,800
Montana: Helena Valley Northeast 142,825 82,237 373,500 263,700
Nebraska: Hickman 119,081 87,815 224,500 174,100
Nevada: Incline Village 198,214 89,562 1,042,700 315,900
New Hampshire: Hanover 184,742 108,061 610,900 288,700
New Jersey: Short Hills 428,352 124,626 1,389,900 355,700
New Mexico: Las Campanas 246,737 74,363 1,075,900 184,800
New York: Brookville 617,173 111,583 2,000,000+ 340,600
North Carolina: Biltmore Forest 317,802 84,888 1,074,500 197,500
North Dakota: Horace 188,255 89,443 378,700 209,900
Ohio: Coldstream 371,209 83,820 623,000 159,900
Oklahoma: Nichols Hills 337,257 78,040 740,200 150,800
Oregon: Dunthorpe 428,601 94,034 1,347,400 362,200
Pennsylvania: Messiah College 390,363 92,849 N/A 197,300
Rhode Island: Charlestown 134,740 97,908 425,700 292,600
South Carolina: Kiawah Island 366,392 81,142 1,442,000 181,800
South Dakota: Dakota Dunes 166,304 83,175 376,900 187,800
Tennessee: Belle Meade 434,848 82,012 1,662,100 193,700
Texas: Hunters Creek Village 477,852 94,115 1,846,200 202,600
Utah: East Basin 281,879 101,412 839,500 339,700
Vermont: Woodstock 127,822 89,820 480,400 240,600
Virginia: Great Falls 353,259 111,013 1,134,900 295,500
Washington: Yarrow Point 410,703 111,431 2,000,000+ 397,600
West Virginia: Shenandoah Junction 169,135 69,436 162,400 128,800
Wisconsin: River Hills 283,369 87,733 637,900 200,400
Wyoming: Hoback 195,161 87,786 930,700 237,900