There are 3,141 counties in the United States of America, and ten of wealthiest fifteen counties are in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, including in Virginia and Maryland.  Is there any doubt why Washington, D.C. seems so chronically out of touch with the average person?

The affluence of the Washington, D.C. suburbs should not come as any surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to reports about the vast income disparity between the average federal government civilian worker and the average private sector worker.

In 2010, the Cato Institute reports that the average federal civilian worker receives $83,679 in average wages, while the average private industry worker only makes $51,986.  Further, the same report shows that when benefits are considered, the federal worker gets $126,141 in wages and benefits compared to $62,757 for the private worker.

An estimated 15 percent of the civilian federal workforce, or 300,000, live in Washington, D.C. and its surrounding suburbs.  This does not include military or contractors, public relations and other government dependent private sector workers.

So, it is logical that in the federal government employee rich Washington, D.C. region average household incomes significantly exceed the rest of America.

What do you think? Is it right that our federal civil servants make so much more than the average worker? Leave your comment below: