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Where the highest Va. earners live might surprise you

Posted at 8:08 PM, Apr 02, 2015
and last updated 2015-04-02 20:08:08-04

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The fattest paychecks in Virginia are made by people who live in Falls Church, and Goochland wasn’t too far behind.

That’s according to an analysis of preliminary 2013 IRS tax return data by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC).

Tax filers living in Falls Church reported $92, 936 on average in wage and salary income last year. Goochland came in fourth places, with a reported  $76,167 average salary.

The slimmest paychecks in the Richmond-metro/Tri-cities area are earned in Petersburg, reported at $25,436.

If you take a look nationally, New York, N.Y. is a helluva town — for paychecks.

Tax filers living in New York County — a.k.a. Manhattan — reported $96,941 on average in wage and salary income last year, the highest among counties in the United States.

At the other end of the spectrum is Catron County, N.M., which had the lowest reported wage and salary income ($16,280) of all counties in the country.

Of course, a paycheck is hardly the only component of a high income. Investment income can also come in handy.

When taking investments into account, Wyoming’s Teton County — home to Jackson Hole — takes the top spot.

Teton County only ranks 195th among counties in terms of average wage and salary income ($47,715) but it was No. 1 in terms of average adjusted gross income ($296,778), dividend income ($32,793) and interest ($8,604).

The icing on the cake for Teton County residents is that they got to keep much more of that income than they would in many other places, since the state of Wyoming doesn’t tax income, whether derived from a paycheck or investments.

By contrast, the county with the lowest reported average AGI in the country was Gooding County, Idaho ($15,379).

Among states overall, Connecticut secured the top spot in terms of AGI ($91,417) while Mississippi came in last ($44,972).

Wages and salaries, in order, per TRAC.

Falls Church City (Falls Church) 92,948
Loudoun County (Round Hill) 87,534
Arlington County (Arlington) 78,494
Goochland County (Goochland) 76,167
Fairfax County (Fort Belvoir) 75,475
Alexandria City (Alexandria) 69,429
Fairfax City (Fairfax) 60,513
Stafford County (Stafford) 60,243
Prince William County (Quantico) 59,245
Fauquier County (Warrenton) 57,970
King George County (Dahlgren) 54,035
Albemarle County (Crozet) 52,930
Poquoson City (Poquoson) 52,435
Hanover County (Ashland) 51,822
New Kent County (Quinton) 51,062
York County (Yorktown) 50,683
Clarke County (Berryville) 50,486
Powhatan County (Moseley) 50,484
Chesterfield County (Midlothian) 50,251
Spotsylvania County (Partlow) 50,112
Henrico County (Sandston) 48,787
James City County (Jamestown) 47,781
Isle of Wight County (Smithfield) 47,767
Chesapeake City (Chesapeake) 45,380
Suffolk City (Suffolk) 45,284
Manassas City (Manassas) 45,259
Frederick County (Stephens City) 45,004
Manassas Park City (Manassas Park) 44,992
Roanoke County (Bent Mountain) 44,680
Virginia Beach City (Virginia Beach) 44,505
Botetourt County (Daleville) 43,812
Fredericksburg City (Fredericksburg) 43,390
Warren County (Front Royal) 42,529
Bedford County (Good View) 42,315
Culpeper County (Culpeper) 42,308
Prince George County (Fort Lee) 41,717
Charlottesville City (Charlottesville) 41,277
Montgomery County (Blacksburg) 41,057
King William County (Aylett) 40,916
Rappahannock County (Washington) 40,782
Fluvanna County (Bremo Bluff) 40,711
Greene County (Ruckersville) 40,487
Louisa County (Louisa) 39,568
Caroline County (Fort Ap Hill) 38,876
Gloucester County (Gloucester Point) 38,210
Richmond City (Richmond) 38,201
Orange County (Orange) 38,146
Salem City (Salem) 37,946
Winchester City (Winchester) 37,312
Madison County (Aroda) 37,307
Rockingham County (Bridgewater) 36,494
Surry County (Surry) 36,423
Dinwiddie County (Dinwiddie) 36,109
Washington County (Abingdon) 36,023
Augusta County (Verona) 35,951
Tazewell County (Richlands) 35,833
Buchanan County (Grundy) 35,774
Lexington City (Lexington) 35,325
Amelia County (Amelia Court House) 34,714
Wise County (Coeburn) 34,455
Charles City County (Charles City) 34,404
Williamsburg City (Williamsburg) 34,377
Campbell County (Rustburg) 34,300
Lynchburg City (Lynchburg) 34,290
Russell County (Lebanon) 34,228
Newport News City (Fort Eustis) 34,201
Alleghany County (Callaghan) 34,052
Hampton City (Hampton) 33,875
Radford City (Radford) 33,745
Pulaski County (Dublin) 33,705
Shenandoah County (Edinburg) 33,682
Amherst County (Monroe) 33,674
Norton City (Norton) 33,482
Dickenson County (Haysi) 33,430
Bland County (Bland) 33,413
Franklin County (Rocky Mount) 33,384
Giles County (Rich Creek) 33,352
Southampton County (Courtland) 33,327
King and Queen County (Bruington) 33,327
Norfolk City (Norfolk) 33,294
Craig County (Newcastle) 33,232
Appomattox County (Appomattox) 32,848
Colonial Heights City (Colonial Heights) 32,795
Nelson County (Shipman) 32,778
Mathews County (Beaverlett) 32,455
Rockbridge County (Natural Bridge Sta) 32,382
Essex County (Tappahannock) 32,269
Westmoreland County (Colonial Beach) 32,057
Pittsylvania County (Chatham) 31,857
Wythe County (Wytheville) 31,620
Floyd County (Alum Ridge) 31,501
Roanoke City (Roanoke) 31,489
Portsmouth City (Portsmouth) 31,261
Staunton City (Staunton) 31,213
Harrisonburg City (Harrisonburg) 30,996
Scott County (Gate City) 30,896
Waynesboro City (Waynesboro) 30,388
Middlesex County (Amburg) 30,249
Page County (Stanley) 30,088
Halifax County (South Boston) 30,023
Sussex County (Wakefield) 29,828
Bath County (Hot Springs) 29,813
Nottoway County (Fort Pickett) 29,778
Prince Edward County (Farmville) 29,724
Cumberland County (Cumberland) 29,509
Lee County (Pennington Gap) 29,296
Smyth County (Marion) 29,207
Buckingham County (Buckingham) 29,165
Franklin City (Franklin) 29,136
Richmond County (Warsaw) 29,104
Greensville County (Jarratt) 28,652
Bedford City (Bedford) 28,588
Mecklenburg County (Boydton) 28,168
Lancaster County (Lively) 28,147
Covington City (Covington) 28,007
Brunswick County (Lawrenceville) 27,973
Galax City (Galax) 27,956
Carroll County (Cana) 27,783
Northampton County (Cape Charles) 27,780
Lunenburg County (Kenbridge) 27,731
Buena Vista City (Buena Vista) 27,713
Hopewell City (Hopewell) 27,670
Bristol City (Bristol) 27,664
Accomack County (Wallops Island) 27,549
Patrick County (Stuart) 27,520
Henry County (Bassett) 27,281
Charlotte County (Saxe) 27,010
Martinsville City (Martinsville) 26,441
Danville City (Danville) 26,306
Grayson County (Independence) 26,073
Emporia City (Emporia) 25,569
Petersburg City (Petersburg) 25,436
Northumberland County (Kilmarnock) 25,328
Highland County (Blue Grass) 25,284