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The Link Between Income & Education Visualizing median annual income by level of education in all 3,000 + U.S. Counties

The 2012 - 2016 American Community Survey is a 5-year study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that summarizes various housing and income data across the U.S. One interesting metric this study tracks is annual income for individuals based on their level of education. In particular, the study classifies individuals based on five levels of education: Less than high school graduate High school graduate Some college or associate's degree Bachelor's degree Graduate or professional degree The map below summarizes the median annual income for all five of these education levels in every U.S. county. Counties with insufficient data are colored in white. Hover over the counties in the map to reveal the county names and their corresponding median incomes.

Education Level: Less than high school graduate High school graduate Some college or associate's degree Bachelor's degree Graduate or professional degree

The Overall Trend In general, individuals with higher levels of education earn higher incomes. The table below shows the median annual income for individuals based on level of education. Level of Education Median Annual Income Less than high school graduate $20,924 High school graduate $28,672 Some college or associate's degree $34,412 Bachelor's degree $51,094 Graduate or professional degree $67,832

Where it Pays to Get a High School Diploma While high school graduates tend to earn more than non-high school grads, it pays to get a diploma in certain counties more than others. The table below shows the five counties with the greatest difference in median income between high school grads and non-high school grads: County Median Income for individuals with no high school diploma Median Income for individuals with a high school diploma Difference Bristol Bay Borough, Alaska $16,250 $50,278 $34,028 Lincoln County, Nevada $6,325 $35,179 $28,854 Catron County, New Mexico $4,506 $30,229 $25,723 Throckmorton County, Texas $11,953 $37,120 $25,167 Steele County, North Dakota $16,250 $40,938 $24,688

Where it Pays to Get a Bachelor's Degree Just as individuals with a high school diploma tend to earn more than their non-diploma peers, those with a bachelor's degree tend to earn more than those with only a high school diploma. The table below shows the five counties with the greatest difference in median income between individuals with bachelor's degrees and individuals with only high school diplomas. County Median Income for individuals with a high school diploma Median Income for individuals with a bachelor's degree Difference Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska $25,065 $73,194 $48,129 Los Alamos County, New Mexico $24,130 $71,856 $47,726 New York County, New York $25,694 $73,229 $47,535 Bethel Census Area, Alaska $18,699 $65,547 $46,848 Loudoun County, Virginia $35,139 $81,917 $46,778

Where it Pays to Get a Graduate or Professional Degree And just as individuals with bachelor's degrees tend to earn more than those with high school diplomas, individuals with graduate or professional degrees tend to earn more than those with bachelor's degrees. The table below shows the five counties with the greatest difference in median income between individuals with graduate or professional degrees and individuals with only bachelor's degrees. County Median Income for individuals with a bachelor's degree Median Income for individuals with a graduate or professional degree Difference Concho County, Texas $26,327 $104,348 $78,021 Covington city, Virginia $17,750 $80,057 $62,307 San Jacinto County, Texas $44,345 $104,931 $60,586 Daggett County, Utah $30,625 $84,688 $54,063 Quitman County, Mississippi $32,875 $85,313 $52,438 Feel free to explore the map above to get a granular look at how incomes vary among education levels in counties across the U.S.