Median household income is higher in the Rural Capital Area than Texas and the United States. However, Williamson County is responsible for most of the comparative wealth of the RCA.  Williamson County (Wilco) has a greater population than the rest of the RCA put together; 55% of the population in the RCA resides in Wilco. Its location north of Austin makes it the most urban, populated, and wealthy county in the RCA. Economic trends in the RCA tend to be led by trends in Wilco. This is shown in Figure 1 below. The RCA’s median household incomes trends over the last decade are similar to Wilco’s, but slightly lower.

Figure 1: Median Household Income in Select Geographies, 2011-2021

Figure 2 shows a similar story when it comes to growth of median household income. The RCA follows the growth trends of Wilco, albeit with less dramatic variation, while Texas is more consistent with US trends.

Figure 2: Median Household Income Growth in Select Geographies, 2012-2021

However, this does not mean that Wilco is the only county in the RCA with robust household income statistics. In 2021, five of the nine RCA counties had a median household income above the state’s benchmark. Furthermore, the range of household incomes in RCA counties is revealing. While the highest point of the range extends almost 30K above the Texas median, the point is less than 10K below the state median. Overall, household income in the RCA is healthy, a sign of economic prosperity for the region.

Table 1: Median Household Income Growth in Select Geographies, 2017-2021