Incomes in this Texas county average around $300,000.

And if you're thinking that's gotta be near one of the metro areas like Dallas or Houston, you're dead wrong.  This pile of riches has landed in a place you'd never expect.  And see how Smith County compares.  

Bloomberg looked over tax returns from across the US from 2015, and learned that the richest county in America has adjusted gross incomes averaging $303,717.  And the incomes are not because celebrities or professional athletes live there.  It's oil money.

McMullen County, northwest of Corpus Christi, beat out other counties in Wyoming and New York to earn the top spot on the richest counties list, according to data used by Syracuse University.  McMullen County sits below San Antonio, between I-35 and I-37, and it's home to large ranch families that have been tied to the oil industry for years.

Here's the kicker -- the population of the county is only 707!  Less than a thousand people live there.  Nowwwww it's starting to make sense.  In the grand scheme of things there are just a few people with great incomes who are factored in, so the average stays high. When this little secret gets out, more Texans may move there looking for jobs on the ranch.

Teton County, Wyoming landed in second place, and then New York County, New York, which includes Manhattan.  Rural areas beat metro areas for the most part.

So, now we're all curious about how East Texas compares, right?  The average adjusted gross income in Smith County is $60,868, according to public tax return data.  The average in Gregg County is $59,364.

We're a little short of being "the richest," but rich doesn't always mean happy.  And besides, we have Whataburger and Chuy's and Tyler State Park and your good backyard barbecue over here in these parts.  Add a Shiner to the mix, and life is pretty good.

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