This is New Jersey's Richest County

NEW JERSEY – A new study analyzing the wealthiest counties around the country has identified the richest in New Jersey. And it's not where you'll find the hulking mansions of the Jersey Shore and Bergen County, or the sprawling, bucolic neighborhoods of Essex and Union counties.

The richest in New Jersey is the somewhat suburban, mostly rural Hunterdon County in North Jersey (or is it Central Jersey?), according to the financial news and opinion site 24/7 Wall St. Households there make $33,000 more each year than the median in New Jersey.

In Hunterdon County, the median household makes $112,535 a year, according to the report published in January. That's compared to a median of $79,363 across New Jersey.

Here’s other priceless information on Hunterdon County:

• Poverty Rate: 4.8 percent (State: 10.4 percent)
• October 2019 Unemployment: 2.5 percent (State: 3.2 percent)
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 52 percent (State: 38.9 percent)
• Largest place in the county: Flemington.

It's not the first time Hunterdon County has been recognized nationally for its prosperity and desirability. A Hunterdon County town, Clinton, was named the best place in New Jersey for families, according to the 2017 rankings by New Jersey Family.

Eight Hunterdon County communities were also identified by New Jersey Family, a resource for New Jersey parents, as among New Jersey's 50 "Best Towns for Families 2019."

• Raritan Twp.
• Clinton Twp.
• Union Twp.
• East Amwell
• Bethlehem
• Readington Twp.
• Alexandria
• Kingwood

Doubtlessly, there are some pretty impressive places to live in Hunterdon County, particularly walkable small towns like Flemington or Frenchtown. With all of that comes some high-end real estate.

The most expensive home on the market in Hunterdon County is the $8.2 million sprawling property in Holland Township, according to Realtor.com. The 87-acre estate is set atop a "verdant" landscape and "offering unparalleled quality evident in the many lavish appointments throughout this extraordinary home," according to the site.

There's also this 50-acre Delaware Township property that is "truly a masterpiece in design and quality. Very private, tranquil setting in a region known for its superb countryside," the site says.

Across the country, the typical household in the wealthiest counties earned between $61,000 and $136,000 a year, with Loudoun County, Virginia, coming in as the wealthiest county in the nation.

The top five richest counties in the country were rounded out by Howard County, Maryland ($117,730); Santa Clara County, California ($116,178); Douglas County, Colorado ($115,314); and Los Alamos County, New Mexico ($115,248).

At the other end of the spectrum, Arizona’s Maricopa County had the lowest median income of the wealthiest counties at $61,606. Still, the median household income in Maricopa County was close to $5,000 higher than in the rest of the state.

To determine the richest county in each state, 24/7 Wall St. looked through the median annual household incomes for each U.S. county using five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey.

The full methodology and report are available at 24/7 Wall St.