Stafford County No. 1 in Nation For Black Household Incomes

STAFFORD, VA — There are but seven large counties in the United States whose populations are at least 5 percent black where the median income for black households is greater than that of whites, according to an analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts Foundation.

No. 1 on the list: Stafford County.

The typical black household earned an average of $105,628 from 2010 through 2014. White households earned an average of $99,533 during the span.

The reason? Location, location, location.

Stafford represents a classic bedroom community for core urban areas with high-paying government jobs, and nowhere is that more apt than Washington, D.C.

Frank White (above), a retired Air Force officer and lifelong Stafford County resident, said many children of farmers like him joined the military and upon retiring often increased their financial picture by selling family land for development or doing contract work for the nearby military installations.

Overall, though, the national picture tells a different story. In 2015, the median income for black households was $36,544 compared to $61,394 for white households.

Photo: Pew Charitable Trusts