The US county with the largest year-over-year increase in average weekly wage in the third quarter of 2023 was Clayton County in Georgia, which lies within the Atlanta area. The average weekly wage in the country rose 7.7% to $1,304, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Feb. 21, which looked at the 361 largest US counties. Gains in transportation and utilities helped drive Clayton County’s increase.

Clayton County was followed by San Mateo County in California, where the average weekly wage rose 6.6% to $3,288. The third-highest increase was in Weld County, Colorado, where the average weekly wage rose by 6.1% to $1,272.

The county that saw the biggest year-over-year decrease in average weekly wage was Elkhart County in Indiana, which saw the average weekly wage fall 6.0% to $1,085. The BLS noted a decline in average weekly wages in manufacturing fueled the overall decrease in Elkhart County.

Among the top 10 largest US counties, King County in Washington state experienced the largest year-over-year gain in average weekly wages with an increase of 1.8% to $2,287. Professional and business services helped drive the increase.