The Triumph of Douglas County, Colorado

Rocky Mountain News reports:

Keeping up with the Joneses in Douglas County isn't easy.

The county ranks No. 2 in the nation with a median household income of $92,732, close behind Los Alamos County, N.M., and ahead of Loudoun County, Va., the Census Bureau said Tuesday. The bureau cited figures from 2003, the latest data available.

The south metro county, situated between Denver and Colorado Springs, actually lost ground in 2003, slipping from the No. 1 spot in 2002, the data show. Local officials attributed that to an increase of affordable housing, a trend they see as a positive.

"We believe more diversity in housing is good news," said Wendy Holmes, public affairs director for Douglas County. "This means more people who work here can live here."

The median household income for the nation was $43,318. Colorado's median income of $49,248 was No. 9 in the state rankings.