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by Kelsey Warner
The role of money in politics is a contentious issue in the 2016 presidential race that has motivated the rise of anti-establishment candidates. Both Republican businessman Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are running on platforms that promote their freedom from the influence of wealthy donors. The success of these candidates suggests that having affluent supporters does not necessarily translate into success in politics.
Beyond the money game of the national election, the richest voters have the power to choose who they want to represent their interests in Washington. Their representatives in Congress typically align with local needs. The relationship between political parties and money can be examined by looking at the wealthiest voters and their elected officials.
The data analysts at FindTheHome used 2014 American Community Survey information to identify the congressional districts with the highest average per capita income. Because the focus is on congressional districts, some states are on the list more than once. All the neighborhoods have average per capita incomes that are at least $10,000 higher than the national average of $28,555. We also use data from InsideGov to provide the current representative’s name and party affiliation.
#50. District 24 of Texas
Average Per Capita Income: $37,802 Representative: Republican Rep. Kenny Marchant Marchant has represented District 24 of Texas since 2005.
#49. District 11 of Michigan
Average Per Capita Income: $37,929
Representative: Republican Rep. David A. Trott
Trott, a lawyer by training, is the fifth-richest member of Congress.
#48. District 6 of Pennsylvania
Average Per Capita Income: $38,149 Representative: Republican Rep. Ryan A. Costello Costello assumed office as the representative for Pennsylvania’s 6th congressional district in 2015.
#47. District 4 of New Jersey
Average Per Capita Income: $38,294
Representative: Republican Rep. Christopher H. Smith
Smith was elected in 1980 and is serving his 18th term as the representative for New Jersey’s 4th District.
#46. District 32 of Texas
Average Per Capita Income: $38,347 Representative: Republican Rep. Pete Sessions Sessions, one of the most conservative members of Congress, has represented District 32 of Texas since 2003.
#45. District 22 of Florida
Average Per Capita Income: $38,464
Representative: Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel
Frankel, elected in 2012, was previously the mayor of West Palm Beach, Florida.
#44. District 16 of New York
Average Per Capita Income: $38,546 Representative: Democratic Rep. Eliot L. Engel New York’s 16th District includes the city of Yonkers.
#43. District 6 of Arizona
Average Per Capita Income: $38,624
Representative: Republican Rep. David Schweikert
The 6th District of Arizona includes the city of Scottsdale.
#42. District 12 of New Jersey
Average Per Capita Income: $38,627 Representative: Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman Coleman, who assumed office in 2015, is the first African-American congresswoman to represent New Jersey.
#41. District 9 of Illinois
Average Per Capita Income: $38,948
Representative: Democratic Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky
Schakowsky has represented Illinois’s 9th Congressional District since 1999.
#40. District 1 of Washington
Average Per Capita Income: $39,050 Representative: Democratic Rep. Suzan K. DelBene DelBene was the 1st Congressional District of Washington’s first representative after it was redrawn in 2012.
#39. District 9 of North Carolina
Average Per Capita Income: $39,153
Representative: Republican Rep. Robert Pittenger
The 9th District of North Carolina includes the city of Charlotte.
#38. District 2 of California
Average Per Capita Income: $39,175 Representative: Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman California’s 2nd District includes a large portion of northern California.
#37. District 4 of New York
Average Per Capita Income: $39,198
Representative: Democratic Rep. Kathleen M. Rice
Rice, who once worked as a federal prosecutor in Philadelphia, now represents New York’s 4th District.
#36. District 7 of Pennsylvania
Average Per Capita Income: $39,560 Representative: Republican Rep. Patrick Meehan Meehan, previously a U.S. attorney, was elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 7th District in 2010.
#35. District 6 of Massachusetts
Average Per Capita Income: $39,693
Representative: Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton
Moulton has represented the 6th District of Massachusetts since 2015.
#34. District 3 of Texas
Average Per Capita Income: $39,766 Representative: Republican Rep. Sam Johnson The 3rd District of Texas includes the city of Plano.
#33. District 11 of California
Average Per Capita Income: $40,118
Representative: Democratic Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
The 11th District of California includes the cities of Richmond and Concord.
#32. District 8 of Massachusetts
Average Per Capita Income: $40,248 Representative: Democratic Rep. Stephen F. Lynch The 8th District of Massachusetts includes some parts of southern Boston.
#31. District 3 of Maryland
Average Per Capita Income: $40,511
Representative: Democratic Rep. John P. Sarbanes
Sarbanes previously worked as a lawyer and has represented Maryland’s 3rd District since 2007.
#30. District 2 of Missouri
Average Per Capita Income: $40,732 Representative: Republican Rep. Ann Wagner Wagner served as the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg under President George W. Bush.
#29. District 17 of California
Average Per Capita Income: $41,699
Representative: Democratic Rep. Michael M. Honda
The 17th District of California includes the cities of Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Fremont.
#28. District 14 of California
Average Per Capita Income: $42,307 Representative: Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier California’s 14 District includes the cities of San Mateo, Daly City and part of San Francisco.
#27. District 3 of Minnesota
Average Per Capita Income: $42,625
Representative: Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen
Paulsen has represented Minnesota’s 3rd District since 2009.
#26. District 6 of Georgia
Average Per Capita Income: $42,637 Representative: Republican Rep. Tom Price Price worked as an orthopedic surgeon before going into politics.
#25. District 45 of California
Average Per Capita Income: $42,657
Representative: Republican Rep. Mimi Walters
California’s 45th District is based in Orange County and includes the cities of Irvine and Anaheim.
#24. District 5 of Illinois
Average Per Capita Income: $42,685 Representative: Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley Quigley was elected in a special congressional election. Rahm Emanuel left a vacancy when he resigned to become White House Chief of Staff in 2009.
#23. District 17 of New York
Average Per Capita Income: $42,830
Representative: Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey
Lowey has served as a member of the House since 1989.
#22. District 52 of California
Average Per Capita Income: $43,583 Representative: Democratic Rep. Scott H. Peters The 52nd District of California includes the city of San Diego. Peters is the 11th wealthiest member of Congress.
#21. District 48 of California
Average Per Capita Income: $43,690
Representative: Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher
California’s 48th District includes Costa Mesa, Sunset Beach and Huntington Beach.
#20. District 6 of Illinois
Average Per Capita Income: $43,896 Representative: Republican Rep. Peter J. Roskam Roskam has represented the 6th District of Illinois since 2007.
#19. District 7 of Texas
Average Per Capita Income: $43,911
Representative: Republican Rep. John Abney Culberson
The 7th District of Texas includes part of the city of Houston.
#18. District 5 of New Jersey
Average Per Capita Income: $44,039 Representative: Republican Rep. Scott Garrett Garrett has represented the 5th District of New Jersey since 2003.
#17. District 7 of Washington
Average Per Capita Income: $44,095
Representative: Democratic Rep. Jim McDermott
McDermott has represented Washington as a member of the House since 1989. He recently announced his retirement.
#16. District 5 of Massachusetts
Average Per Capita Income: $44,910 Representative: Democratic Rep. Katherine M. Clark Clark, previously an attorney, has represented the 5th District since 2013.
#15. District 11 of Virginia
Average Per Capita Income: $45,049
Representative: Democratic Rep. Gerald E. Connolly
The 11th District of Virginia includes the city of Fairfax.
#14. District 4 of Massachusetts
Average Per Capita Income: $45,087 Representative: Democratic Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III Kennedy, a member of the Kennedy family, has served the 4th District of Massachusetts since 2013.
#13. The at-Large Delegate District of D.C.
Average Per Capita Income: $46,502
Representative: Democratic Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton
Norton has been ranked as the third most liberal member of Congress.
#12. District 10 of Virginia
Average Per Capita Income: $48,395 Representative: Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock Virginia’s 10th District includes the cities of Loudoun, Clarke and Frederick.
#11. District 8 of Maryland
Average Per Capita Income: $48,726
Representative: Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen
Van Hollen was recently ranked as the 29th most liberal member of Congress.
#10. District 11 of New Jersey
Average Per Capita Income: $48,898 Representative: Republican Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen Frelinghuysen has been ranked as the 21st wealthiest member of Congress.
#9. District 3 of New York
Average Per Capita Income: $50,366
Representative: Democratic Rep. Steve Israel
New York’s 3rd District includes part of Long Island and Queens.
#8. District 7 of New Jersey
Average Per Capita Income: $50,483 Representative: Republican Rep. Leonard Lance Lance served as member of the New Jersey General Assembly and Senate before winning the 2008 congressional election.
#7. District 12 of California
Average Per Capita Income: $52,031
Representative: Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi
California’s 12th District includes the city of San Francisco. Pelosi ranks as the eighth wealthiest member of Congress with an average net worth of $100,864,528.
#6. District 8 of Virginia
Average Per Capita Income: $52,137 Representative: Democratic Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. District 8 of Virginia includes the cities of Arlington and Alexandria.
#5. District 4 of Connecticut
Average Per Capita Income: $53,048
Representative: Democratic Rep. James A. Himes
Connecticut’s 4th District includes the cities of Bridgeport and Stamford.
#4. District 18 of California
Average Per Capita Income: $57,633 Representative: Democratic Rep. Anna G. Eshoo Eshoo represents the 18th District of California, which includes part of the Silicon Valley Region.
#3. District 10 of New York
Average Per Capita Income: $59,827
Representative: Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler
New York’s 10th District includes parts of Manhattan such as the Financial District and Greenwich Village.
#2. District 33 of California
Average Per Capita Income: $63,505 Representative: Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu The 33rd District of California is based in Los Angeles and includes the Beverly Hills and Malibu neighborhoods.
#1. District 12 of New York
Average Per Capita Income: $79,172
Representative: Democratic Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney
New York’s 12th District includes parts of Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.
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