The richest metro area in the country bar far is Washington DC, with a median household income of around $90,000. That’s not too surprising, nor was I shocked to hear about #2 (San Francisco) or #3 (Boston). But who would’ve thought that the fourth-richest metro area in the country was… Baltimore!?
If you’re a data nerd, you could get lost in the New York Times data maps of the 2010 census information. Sometimes a good map can reveal information more vividly and directly than a paragraph of text — take, for instance, the image showing the change in median household income over the past decade. It’s a clear picture on the block-by-block level of which neighborhoods are winning (Hampden; Charles Village), and which are collapsing (Remington, Waverly, Reservoir Hill). But that’s not the whole story.
Courtesy of Citybizlist – To make ends meet in Baltimore County, a family of three that includes an adult, a preschool child and a school-age child needs to make nearly $62,000 to cover basic needs, a new study finds. That is more than three times the federal poverty level.
The 2012 Self-Sufficiency Standard, created by researchers at the University of Washington School of Social Work in cooperation with the Maryland Community Action Partnership, calculates the basic costs for Maryland families by looking at the price of such necessities as housing, food, transportation, child care and taxes. It does not allow for such extras new cars — or even fast food, coffee or soda.
Elected officials say that as the recession has continued, they have heard from more people seeking help.
J. B. Osborne, senior legislative advisor to County Councilwoman Cathy Bevins, said his office has seen an increase in residents who need help paying for heating and electricity, as well as requests for affordable housing.
“The eligibility requirements for these programs haven’t really changed, so there’s a lot more people just fighting to make ends meet but still don’t qualify,” Osborne said.
Although there is an increase in need, finding funding in the county is an issue, Councilwoman Vicki Almond said.
“With Baltimore County, the state and the federal government trying to balance their budgets, it’s hard to determine where funds to cover this will come from,” Almond said. “You see more people in need but there’s less funding to go around.”
The county will start a waiting list next week for its child -care subsidy program, because of the increase in applications. The program has an income limit for a family of three of $29,990.
What people were surviving on six or seven years ago is not enough for them to cover basic needs now. “The poor is now the working poor,” Osborne said.
Courtesy of Citybizlist – Maryland lays claim to five of America’s 15 richest counties, led by Howard County with a median household income of $101,771, according to a report by The Street.
The Street looked at Census Bureau data from 2010, selecting the 15 counties with the highest median household income – boasting a combined median income nearly double the national average of $49,445.
American’s richest county is Loudon County, Va., with a $119,540 median income.
Read the full story here.
Here is what The Street said about the five counties in Maryland that made the list.
3rd Richest: Howard County, Md.
Median Household Income: $101,771
With an astounding 58.3% of residents holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, Howard County shows that higher education can pay. One of only three counties that have a six-figure median household income in the U.S., Howard is located between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., attracting the extremely affluent. The median value of owner-occupied homes in the county is $456,200.
12th Richest: Montgomery County, Md.
Median Household Income: $89,155
With almost 1 million residents, Montgomery is one of the largest counties on our list. It’s no surprise that this county is so large, since it’s situated just north of Washington, D.C. and only an hour from Baltimore.
More than half of the county’s population has a bachelor’s degree or higher and the home values in this area are astounding. The median value of owner-occupied homes was $482,900 from 2006-2010.
13th Richest: Calvert County, Md.
Median Household Income: $88,862
Calvert lies just across the Patuxent River from St. Mary’s County, which holds the 14th spot on our list. The median household income in this county didn’t see the same boom that St. Mary’s saw year over year, though. Its income remained essentially flat, decreasing less than 1% from 2009.
Veterans make up roughly 10% of the population, according to the most recent census data.
