According to Census 2000, Westchester county ranks no.12 (instead of no.3) out of the 3219 counties (or county equivalent) in per capita income.

Well, it is still pretty high.

A far superior version of Long Island.

mostly suburban county bordering the bronx to the south and fairfield county, ct to the north. largely perceived as a haven for wealthy investment bankers, lawyers and doctors who commute to and work in manhattan, westchester does indeed have more than its fair share of elite golf courses (think winged foot), high-end stores (gucci, louis vuitton etc) and country clubs.

however, while one of the ten wealthiest counties in america, there is more to westchester than the popular public perception might suggest. herein lies a breakdown of westchester locales:

Preppy and Rich- think Rye, Bronxville and Larchmont. You'll find the old-school clubs (Larchmont Yacht, Westchester Country Club) and preppier atmospheres in these towns. Replete with pastel polos, sailboats and topsiders, these towns are among the wealthiest (if not necessarily flashiest) of the county.

Jappy and Rich- most famously Scarsdale and, to a lesser extent, Chappaqua. These towns are a bit more status-obsessed than their preppy counterparts. Their school systems are among the highest-performing in the nation and they tend to attract many Jewish and Asian families that put a premium on their children's educations. Think of designer clothes behind the wheel of a mercedes sports car as opposed to a vineyard vines polo behind the wheel of a jeeb or volvo to understand the difference between preppy and jappy wealth.

Guido Rich- Think Harrison, Pelham and parts of New Rochelle. Think gelled hair, Armani ...

The county north of New York City, sometimes referred to as the "East Coast OC", this county boasts a strong history, culture, and an absurd amount of wealth. The southern half of the county is more suburban, while the northern half, while more rural, is certainly as affluent, and cannot be discounted. Yonkers is the largest city in the county, and is currently making a huge economical comeback, though it is still plagued by issues with the school district. Westchester is home to many celebrities and some of the best public schools in the country. Whether one hails from Scarsdale or Somers, they are Westchester-ites---and ultimately, Westchester is one of the most intriguing parts of the state and country to look at from a sociological and cultural standpoint.

Home of DMX, Mary J. Blige, the Clintons, Mike Myers, Richard Gere, Rob Thomas, the Reeves, Vanessa Williams, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, among others.

Ella Fitzgerald was born in Yonkers, and a statue of her still stands in her old neighborhood. Matt Dillon grew up in New Rochelle and Mamoroneck. Dave Matthews briefly lived in Yorktown and attended YHS. The Son of Sam hailed from Yonkers, and Mariah Carey's house burned down in Westchester. Martha Stewart was confined to her home after prison in Bedford, and Calvin Klein owns a thoroughbred breeding farm in Somers.

Mahopac is NOT Westchester, and you can tell as soon as you step foot across the county line.

a very nice, suburban country north of new york city. it contains the very rich, and moderatly poor. most of it is rich, white , preppy people who belong to a country club, and take day trips to the city with their friends.

The area of New York immediately north of the Bronx. Has rich areas and poorer areas. Many kids from Westchester pretend to be ghetto while their parents make 6 figure salaries. Also, people from Southern Westchester (like myself) take much offense when told we are from "upstate".

A colloquialism for Westchester County, the county immediately north of New York City. Stereotyped as being rich, though this is not true to the extent that most people believe. Considered to be a counterpart to 'Long Island' i.e. Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Bronxbuddy you do have a point. Kids at my high school literally were convinced they were "from" the Bronx because they lived there until they were like 2, and expect you to think they were tough because of that. People really do not have any idea how rich Westchester is, what we consider "Middle Class" is really more like upper middle class. Yonkers is probably the only city in Westchester co. that even remote resembles the rest of the country economically so it gets labeled a dump and ostracized by snobs in Scarsdale even though Yonkers is not poor for the most part, it is just normal middle class.