COVID-19 swept in causing concern for our physical health and not even the economy could escape its wrath. Changing incomes, poverty levels, consumer habits, and job opportunities brought by the pandemic hit Hoosiers where it hurts- in their wallets. Stacker’s analysis of median household incomes in 2020 reflected a 2.9% decrease from 2019. They compiled a list from that data to rank Indiana counties based on their earning status and 5-year estimates from 2020.
Data from the US Census Bureau collected and used by Stacker in the study shows annual income being subjective to individuals’ educational attainment, race, ethnicity, gender, and location. Likely bolstered by metropolitan areas of Maryland and Northern Virginia, Washington DC is home to a cluster of 5 of the United States’ 7 most successful counties. The area attracts business professionals who are proficient in law and public policy that heavily contribute to overall wealth. Individuals in these fields often marry each other, producing one very high-earning household from two separate high-earning incomes. The table below highlights local counties included in the study:
| County/State Rank | Median Household Income | Above/Below State Average | Above/Below National Average | Households earning over $100k/National County Rank | Households earning under $15k/National County Rank |
| Gibson #43 | $56,638 | 2.7% Below | 12.9% Below | 22.5%/1,198th | 8.5%/1,196th |
| Spencer #41 | $56,919 | 2.3% Below | 12.4% Below | 23.8%/1,020th | 8.2%/1,169th |
| Lawrence #35 | $57,740 | 0.9% Below | 11.2% Below | 20.1%/1587th | 10.7%/1,085th |
| Dubois #20 | $62,846 | 7.9% Above | 3.3% Below | 25.5%/822nd | 10.1%/698th |
| Posey #18 | $64,983 | 11.6% Above | 0.0% Below | 30.5%/454th | 9%/581st |
| Warrick #4 | $ 79,079 | 35.8% Above | 21.7% Above | 34.6%/291st | 5.1%/206th |
A complete Top 50 list of Indiana County Earnings and data from metropolitan clusters can be found at https://stacker.com/indiana/highest-earning-counties-indiana.
