I love to go to Washington – if only to be near my money.

The old Bob Hope quote never gets old. It is why Americans continue to move to Washington, DC. More importantly, it is an indication of serious economic issues: if you want to move to America’s wealthiest places, move to where the government is.

Check out this article which goes through the data. Los Alamos is the 3rd-wealthiest county in America (thanks to the government!). 4 of the 5 wealthiest counties are in the DC suburbs (only Los Alamos is not). 6 of the top 10 wealthiest are in the DC area.

Anyway, fascinating data and a sad commentary on the central role Washington now plays in the US economy.