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- Median household income: $23,447
- Total number of households: 3,070
- Households making less than $10,000: 19.5%
- Households making less than $25,000: 54.0%

Located in west-central Alabama, has seen employment levels drop and wages decrease over the past several years. With a population of just under 10,000 people, the largest industries in the area are educational services and manufacturing. A may be behind the low average income in Perry County.

- Median household income: $36,754
- Total number of households: 1,724
- Households making less than $10,000: 10.1%
- Households making less than $25,000: 33.0%

There are just in Alaska’s Kusilvak Census Area. Most workers from this area are —.

- Median household income: $32,508
- Total number of households: 20,867
- Households making less than $10,000: 21.6%
- Households making less than $25,000: 41.7%

Northern Arizona, where Apache County is located, is experiencing a , with many plants downsizing or shutting down completely in recent years. Losing high-wage jobs in the coal industry is predicted to , including tourism, retail, and hospitality, which could make it even harder for Apache County residents to boost their incomes.

- Median household income: $29,320
- Total number of households: 7,485
- Households making less than $10,000: 17.0%
- Households making less than $25,000: 44.3%

Once a thriving agricultural and port area, Phillips County has largely been left behind by economic modernization. The ongoing seeks to make up for lost income through community and economic development projects.

- Median household income: $40,846
- Total number of households: 5,939
- Households making less than $10,000: 9.9%
- Households making less than $25,000: 32.0%

Trinity County has . The majority of them are employed in or the accommodation and food services industries.

- Median household income: $30,900
- Total number of households: 1,767
- Households making less than $10,000: 8.8%
- Households making less than $25,000: 38.6%

In Bent County, the local economy is , an industry with . In an effort to help balance out these losses, the county's works to keep and grow small businesses in the area.

- Median household income: $66,550
- Total number of households: 44,953
- Households making less than $10,000: 5.4%
- Households making less than $25,000: 17.4%

Manufacturing is the . The sector is expected to continue to grow, with industries.

- Median household income: $60,910
- Total number of households: 65,796
- Households making less than $10,000: 5.1%
- Households making less than $25,000: 18.3%

The vast majority of small business owners in Kent County oppose a , seeing a stagnant wage as attractive to businesses who might come to Kent County to set up shop. Within the county, 12.7% of the population is .

- Median household income: $35,438
- Total number of households: 12,072
- Households making less than $10,000: 7.2%
- Households making less than $25,000: 33.7%

A large percentage of the DeSoto County, Florida workforce are migrant farmer families, who work year-round in the fields harvesting produce for relatively low wages. In fact, the in the county are farming, fishing, and forestry jobs, which are among the lowest-paid.

- Median household income: $22,325
- Total number of households: 1,242
- Households making less than $10,000: 16.6%
- Households making less than $25,000: 52.3%

Solar innovation may help stimulate the economy in Clay County over the next decade; U.S. solar company Silicon Ranch in 2018 made an in Bluffton. The development will inject some much-needed revenue into the county's schools and development authority.

- Median household income: $62,409
- Total number of households: 69,453
- Households making less than $10,000: 7.7%
- Households making less than $25,000: 21.6%

As is the case throughout the state, tourism drives the economy in Hawaii County. Most residents working in .

- Median household income: $39,160
- Total number of households: 11,016
- Households making less than $10,000: 11.9%
- Households making less than $25,000: 36.0%

With an educated workforce and relatively low costs, Rexburg, Madison County’s largest city, is . Many out-of-state businesses have , creating new jobs and boosting the economy.

- Median household income: $34,640
- Total number of households: 2,095
- Households making less than $10,000: 9.5%
- Households making less than $25,000: 38.0%

When the Tamms Supermax Prison closed in 2013, Southern Illinois (which includes Pulaski County) and saw businesses that served prison staff shut down. The state in 2019 created a new task force to explore ways to repurpose the former correctional center and create new employment opportunities in the area.

- Median household income: $41,662
- Total number of households: 3,835
- Households making less than $10,000: 9.3%
- Households making less than $25,000: 29.0%

Crawford County is the lowest-earning county in the state of Indiana, falling significantly short of the state's . The discrepancy is likely due to the high concentration of low-paying manufacturing and construction jobs in the area.

- Median household income: $40,167
- Total number of households: 5,353
- Households making less than $10,000: 9.6%
- Households making less than $25,000: 29.7%

in recent years. Some of the most common industries here include manufacturing, retail trade, health care, and social assistance, and educational services.

- Median household income: $38,750
- Total number of households: 1,128
- Households making less than $10,000: 9.6%
- Households making less than $25,000: 34.5%

Over the last several decades, Elk County has seen As members of the community have moved out, they seem to have taken jobs with them. The area has retained some of its , like mining and quarrying, but its most common areas of employment are things like health care and social services, which pay significantly less.

- Median household income: $24,623
- Total number of households: 2,898
- Households making less than $10,000: 16.3%
- Households making less than $25,000: 50.4%

Food preparation and serving-related occupations are the and among the lowest-paid types of employment in the area. Residents with this job earn a median salary of $11,360.

- Median household income: $22,346
- Total number of households: 2,037
- Households making less than $10,000: 26.9%
- Households making less than $25,000: 53.1%

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting represent one of the . The state government in 2019 announced an investment of $50 million in infrastructure projects in the region, , in an effort to bolster the agriculture industry.

- Median household income: $40,890
- Total number of households: 7,025
- Households making less than $10,000: 7.9%
- Households making less than $25,000: 30.4%

Workers in Piscataquis County primarily work in the , as well as manufacturing. The county has just one business in it that .

- Median household income: $37,803
- Total number of households: 8,574
- Households making less than $10,000: 13.4%
- Households making less than $25,000: 32.1%

Located around 100 miles from the nearest major cities, Somerset County is primarily home to . The University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Sysco Eastern Maryland are among the biggest employers in the county.

- Median household income: $55,429
- Total number of households: 179,423
- Households making less than $10,000: 7.4%
- Households making less than $25,000: 24.2%

Most workers in Hampden County are . Income inequality throughout the state is higher than the national average, with men in the state making 1.3 times what a woman makes for the same job.

- Median household income: $37,320
- Total number of households: 4,631
- Households making less than $10,000: 10.9%
- Households making less than $25,000: 33.8%

Manufacturing and retail trade are the in Michigan’s Lake County. The median property value here is $84,400, with more than 84% of residents owning their own homes.

- Median household income: $44,688
- Total number of households: 1,946
- Households making less than $10,000: 8.0%
- Households making less than $25,000: 27.8%

Set within the White Earth Indian Reservation, Mahnomen County has a high proportion of workers in the Major employers in the area include the Shooting Star Casino and Mahnomen Health Center.

- Median household income: $21,504
- Total number of households: 6,188
- Households making less than $10,000: 28.1%
- Households making less than $25,000: 55.8%

Holmes County is one of in the entire United States. Almost three-fifths of the residents live in poverty and receive help from the federal government. Their lack of employment isn’t for lack of trying (in February 2021, there were 31 available jobs in the area and 700 job seekers), but seems to be the product of the systemic racism that still has hold over the town. The from 2010-2014 had a median income of $40,000 while the average Black household had a median income of $19,000.

- Median household income: $31,947
- Total number of households: 3,958
- Households making less than $10,000: 12.2%
- Households making less than $25,000: 40.3%

As previously discussed, industries like manufacturing, construction, and retail trade tend to be lower-paying than other fields. It makes sense, then, that an area like , where these industries dominate the local economy, would have lower incomes, on average, than neighboring counties where higher-paying fields dominate.

- Median household income: $36,045
- Total number of households: 4,163
- Households making less than $10,000: 9.9%
- Households making less than $25,000: 37.2%

Glacier County’s median household income is of Pondera and Toole. Most workers are employed in the educational services or accommodation and food services industries.

- Median household income: $43,098
- Total number of households: 1,387
- Households making less than $10,000: 4.8%
- Households making less than $25,000: 26.5%

Ask a resident of Brown County what they do for a living, and they’ll probably say . Most workers in the area are employed in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry.

- Median household income: $35,806
- Total number of households: 2,048
- Households making less than $10,000: 10.1%
- Households making less than $25,000: 37.8%

Mineral County has a workforce of . The county has an atypically high number of workers in the occupation of , and other protective service workers (including supervisors).

- Median household income: $47,117
- Total number of households: 13,768
- Households making less than $10,000: 5.1%
- Households making less than $25,000: 24.1%

Coos County’s largest industry by number of employees is . There’s an effort among local business leaders and politicians to to boost the economy.

- Median household income: $54,149
- Total number of households: 50,729
- Households making less than $10,000: 8.6%
- Households making less than $25,000: 24.5%

Most Cumberland County workers are employed by the . The county has a slow rate of job growth: Cumberland County employment increased less than 1% from 2016 to 2017 and is (compared with the national average of 33.5%).

- Median household income: $24,798
- Total number of households: 1,384
- Households making less than $10,000: 10.9%
- Households making less than $25,000: 50.4%

The median household income in Guadalupe County is not just low—it’s also falling. Most employed residents .

- Median household income: $40,088
- Total number of households: 503,829
- Households making less than $10,000: 13.5%
- Households making less than $25,000: 35.3%

With a continuous influx of immigrants, Bronx County is among . It has gained a significant amount of new jobs in the last decade. These opportunities aren’t usually lucrative, though. In 2017, the average salary for a job in the private sector in the Bronx was $48,700, around 2.5 times less than positions in neighboring Manhattan.

- Median household income: $34,976
- Total number of households: 45,927
- Households making less than $10,000: 13.6%
- Households making less than $25,000: 37.1%

, Robeson County saw dozens of manufacturing plants close their doors, which resulted in job loss for nearly 10,000 residents. The production and manufacturing industry remains the county’s largest, , but the region is still struggling to bounce back from the closures that have had a ripple effect on the entire area.

- Median household income: $38,939
- Total number of households: 1,112
- Households making less than $10,000: 18.2%
- Households making less than $25,000: 35.6%

Sioux County is the only county in America to lie entirely within a reservation, namely the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. As a result, there’s very little in the way of employment opportunities within the county itself. The vast majority of them worked in administrative or management roles for the reservation, which are .

- Median household income: $39,079
- Total number of households: 10,673
- Households making less than $10,000: 11.2%
- Households making less than $25,000: 33.6%

shuttered in 2018, resulting in the loss of more than . For many former local power plant workers, alternative job options come with lower wages.

- Median household income: $34,489
- Total number of households: 5,971
- Households making less than $10,000: 13.0%
- Households making less than $25,000: 38.2%

The median household income in Choctaw County has hovered since 2013. The highest-paid jobs in the county are architecture and engineering occupations, while the lowest-paid jobs are in food preparation and serving-related occupations.

- Median household income: $37,898
- Total number of households: 3,515
- Households making less than $10,000: 9.8%
- Households making less than $25,000: 32.7%

Lake County is to dig itself out of years of economic stagnation. The county has seen new projects from biofuel companies and solar energy developers in recent years. is the largest industry by the number of employees.

- Median household income: $39,717
- Total number of households: 1,839
- Households making less than $10,000: 8.4%
- Households making less than $25,000: 29.8%

Forest County . Most workers are in public administration or health care and social assistance fields.

- Median household income: $58,974
- Total number of households: 237,971
- Households making less than $10,000: 7.6%
- Households making less than $25,000: 23.3%

Most employment in Providence County is in the , as well as retail and manufacturing. Law enforcement workers are the highest-paid occupation in the county.

- Median household income: $27,185
- Total number of households: 3,365
- Households making less than $10,000: 18.8%
- Households making less than $25,000: 46.1%

Household incomes in Allendale County have . Experts warn that the area could lose about 15% in income by the end of the century .

- Median household income: $24,331
- Total number of households: 2,700
- Households making less than $10,000: 29.0%
- Households making less than $25,000: 50.8%

More than . Some residents say that decades of flawed U.S. government practices impacting Native Americans in Todd County.

- Median household income: $30,136
- Total number of households: 2,742
- Households making less than $10,000: 14.5%
- Households making less than $25,000: 41.3%

Hancock County’s are manufacturing and health care and social assistance. Most workers in the area are in production occupations.

- Median household income: $25,098
- Total number of households: 2,543
- Households making less than $10,000: 14.4%
- Households making less than $25,000: 49.6%

The impoverished Texas county of Presidio has . These include a natural gas pipeline and chili roasting facility, with benefits for average residents remaining to be seen.

- Median household income: $44,245
- Total number of households: 1,000
- Households making less than $10,000: 5.8%
- Households making less than $25,000: 26.2%

In Wayne County, tourism is the main industry. Travelers from around the country flock to Capitol Reef National Park and most locals work in accommodations and food services. While the jobs are plentiful, they especially for those under management level.

- Median household income: $44,349
- Total number of households: 2,740
- Households making less than $10,000: 6.2%
- Households making less than $25,000: 27.3%

Wholesale trade is by a long shot in Essex County. However, most workers in the area are employed by the health care and social assistance industry, which pays significantly less.

- Median household income: $27,063
- Total number of households: 2,086
- Households making less than $10,000: 9.1%
- Households making less than $25,000: 46.9%

The second-smallest town in Virginia, Emporia City was once a trade hub but is now . Located 80 miles from Norfolk, the closest metropolis, Emporia’s relatively rural location and subsequent distance from high-paying industries and businesses may contribute to low median household incomes.

- Median household income: $41,939
- Total number of households: 3,060
- Households making less than $10,000: 9.6%
- Households making less than $25,000: 33.5%

Ferry County , a gold mine, in 2018. With its closure came the loss of high-wage jobs and .

- Median household income: $27,682
- Total number of households: 7,607
- Households making less than $10,000: 15.5%
- Households making less than $25,000: 44.6%

McDowell County has struggled for decades. Its residents were when the program was created in the 1960s and the declining coal industry is continuing to bring the local economy down with it.

- Median household income: $40,921
- Total number of households: 1,408
- Households making less than $10,000: 8.0%
- Households making less than $25,000: 32.7%

are coterminous with the Menominee Indian Reservation and Menominee Township. Just like Sioux County, which also lies inside an Indian reservation, there are few jobs to be had in Menominee, and those that do exist are often tied to the reservation and low-paying.

- Median household income: $49,322
- Total number of households: 15,944
- Households making less than $10,000: 8.0%
- Households making less than $25,000: 25.2%

Home to the University of Wyoming and Wyotech-Laramie, Albany County's largest industry is . Food preparation and serving-related occupations are both the fifth most common job for Albany County residents and the lowest-paid positions in the area.