The nation’s largest and most historically prominent cities tend to have highly educated sectors among their populations, and within those cities, certain ZIP codes – which generally don’t correspond to town or city boundaries – have concentrations of college graduates and those holding advanced degrees.
Using census data, 24/7 Wall St. determined the percentage of adults 25 years and over in ZIP codes across the country with at least a bachelor’s degree. Not surprisingly, it found that Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York all had numerous ZIP codes ranking among the top 50 for college grads, making them among the best educated towns in the country.
However, the country’s most educated ZIP codes aren’t necessarily located in or around those cities. In fact, 22 of the top 50 are not within striking distance of the 10 cities with the highest percentage of college graduates – and of those 10 cities, only four (San Francisco, Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Boston) include or are near ZIP codes that are among the most educated in the country.
Click here to see America’s most educated ZIP codes
Click here to read our detailed methodology
While higher education is certainly associated with higher incomes, the percentage of college-educated residents in a given location is not as strong an indicator of wealth as might be imagined. A postgraduate degree strengthens the correlation. One ZIP code in Boston can boast of great erudition, with 94.6% of its population holding undergraduate degrees – the highest percentage in the country – and 33.7% having earned an advanced degree, but its median household income is only $57,989. (See how the U.S. compares to the most educated countries in the world.)
At the same time, one ZIP code in San Francisco ranks a relatively modest 50th in college education (with 85.2% of the population having a bachelor degree and 50.2% holding graduate degrees) – but the median household income is $250,000, the highest in the country.
50. 94105
> Location: San Francisco, CA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 85.2%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 50.9% – #64 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $250,000+ – #1 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 3.6% – #6,434 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 10,951
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49. 30327
> Location: Atlanta, GA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 85.3%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 40.2% – #271 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $153,549 – #326 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.2% – #18,414 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 17,024
48. 19066
> Location: Merion Station, PA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 85.4%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 60.8% – #9 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $220,329 – #31 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.0% – #14,939 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 3,380
47. 94123
> Location: San Francisco, CA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 85.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 32.8% – #655 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $179,143 – #137 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.3% – #13,259 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 21,168
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46. 28207
> Location: Charlotte, NC
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 85.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 34.6% – #517 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $177,898 – #146 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.1% – #18,726 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 7,277
45. 22201
> Location: Arlington, VA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 85.7%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 45.6% – #131 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $130,079 – #739 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.6% – #16,941 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 29,938
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44. 20815
> Location: Chevy Chase, MD
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 85.7%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 57.0% – #17 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $163,016 – #233 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.5% – #17,345 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 22,282
43. 02420
> Location: Lexington, MA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 85.8%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 61.3% – #5 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $198,110 – #75 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.7% – #16,510 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 9,921
42. 60614
> Location: Chicago, IL
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 85.9%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 39.2% – #297 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $117,251 – #1,168 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.3% – #13,259 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 50,783
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41. 02110
> Location: Boston, MA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.0%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 47.1% – #104 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $111,971 – #1,410 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 3.2% – #8,202 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 2,066
40. 06820
> Location: Darien, CT
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.2%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 37.9% – #359 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $243,750 – #18 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 3.5% – #6,864 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 13,280
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39. 02138
> Location: Cambridge, MA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.3%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 56.8% – #18 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $104,641 – #1,880 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.6% – #11,558 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 23,700
38. 10514
> Location: Chappaqua, NY
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.4%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 54.9% – #29 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $250,000+ – #1 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 3.9% – #5,318 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 8,137
37. 94022
> Location: Los Altos, CA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.5%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 53.2% – #44 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $250,000+ – #1 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.7% – #16,510 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 14,324
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36. 20015
> Location: Washington, DC
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.5%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 60.0% – #12 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $176,298 – #151 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.2% – #13,826 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 11,513
35. 35213
> Location: Birmingham, AL
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 36.6% – #408 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $128,059 – #785 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 0.9% – #19,256 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 9,719
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34. 11109
> Location: New York, NY
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 47.7% – #95 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $169,425 – #191 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 4.1% – #4,658 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 4,842
33. 60611
> Location: Chicago, IL
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.7%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 46.3% – #116 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $108,413 – #1,607 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.0% – #14,939 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 28,566
32. 94708
> Location: Berkeley, CA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.7%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 54.7% – #30 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $192,577 – #88 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.6% – #11,558 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 9,039
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31. 94707
> Location: Berkeley, CA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 86.8%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 53.3% – #43 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $161,332 – #249 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.1% – #14,368 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 9,315
30. 77005
> Location: Houston, TX
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 87.3%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 51.3% – #60 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $202,526 – #59 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.6% – #11,558 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 17,888
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29. 02481
> Location: Wellesley Hills, MA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 87.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 53.7% – #35 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $227,898 – #22 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 3.0% – #9,242 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 8,636
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28. 20016
> Location: Washington, DC
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 87.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 60.9% – #8 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $158,566 – #274 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.8% – #10,357 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 22,220
27. 02459
> Location: Newton, MA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 87.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 55.9% – #22 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $189,589 – #96 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.7% – #16,510 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 12,498
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26. 07310
> Location: Jersey City, NJ
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 87.8%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 56.1% – #21 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $149,927 – #375 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.1% – #14,368 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 10,337
25. 20007
> Location: Washington, DC
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 87.9%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 55.5% – #26 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $135,400 – #624 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.2% – #13,826 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 19,737
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24. 20008
> Location: Washington, DC
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 88.0%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 55.7% – #25 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $114,521 – #1,281 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.7% – #10,967 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 24,848
23. 60654
> Location: Chicago, IL
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 88.5%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 39.6% – #288 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $128,101 – #783 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.2% – #13,826 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 17,750
22. 02468
> Location: Waban, MA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 89.0%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 63.7% – #2 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $250,000+ – #1 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.8% – #10,357 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 3,793
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21. 07078
> Location: Short Hills, NJ
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 89.1%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 53.7% – #35 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $250,000+ – #1 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 3.3% – #7,726 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 8,190
20. 20816
> Location: Bethesda, MD
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 89.1%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 58.6% – #15 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $202,309 – #60 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 3.9% – #5,318 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 11,142
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19. 20037
> Location: Washington, DC
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 89.5%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 64.6% – #1 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $97,901 – #2,447 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.9% – #9,813 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 8,233
18. 10280
> Location: New York, NY
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 89.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 48.9% – #78 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $170,385 – #185 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.8% – #16,029 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 7,411
17. 20818
> Location: Cabin John, MD
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 89.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 62.9% – #3 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $181,471 – #127 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 0.8% – #19,469 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 1,400
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16. 53726
> Location: Madison, WI
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 90.3%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 62.5% – #4 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $41,883 – #17,764 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.1% – #18,726 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 2,390
15. 60661
> Location: Chicago, IL
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 90.4%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 45.3% – #135 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $125,365 – #872 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 0.9% – #19,256 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 8,806
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14. 20036
> Location: Washington, DC
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 90.4%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 55.4% – #28 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $101,154 – #2,154 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.2% – #18,414 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 4,860
13. 02210
> Location: Boston, MA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 90.5%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 49.0% – #77 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $170,920 – #180 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.7% – #10,967 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 3,870
12. 02142
> Location: Cambridge, MA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 90.7%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 59.0% – #13 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $134,575 – #638 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.0% – #19,000 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 3,172
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11. 02199
> Location: Boston, MA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 91.2%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 43.5% – #170 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $106,250 – #1,765 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 0.0% – #20,485 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 1,237
10. 19102
> Location: Philadelphia, PA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 91.5%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 51.9% – #52 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $110,096 – #1,507 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.6% – #16,941 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 4,389
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9. 20004
> Location: Washington, DC
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 91.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 58.8% – #14 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $143,798 – #452 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 4.9% – #2,772 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 1,740
8. 10005
> Location: New York, NY
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 91.7%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 40.1% – #275 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $184,681 – #113 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.1% – #14,368 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 6,698
7. 60043
> Location: Kenilworth, IL
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 91.9%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 48.1% – #91 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $241,591 – #19 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.5% – #12,092 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 1,402
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6. 10006
> Location: New York, NY
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 93.1%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 51.7% – #54 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $185,268 – #109 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 3.3% – #7,726 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 2,675
5. 60602
> Location: Chicago, IL
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 93.2%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 54.7% – #30 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $226,276 – #23 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 0.3% – #20,283 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 1,394
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4. 94305
> Location: Stanford, CA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 94.0%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 61.2% – #6 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $62,515 – #9,447 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.2% – #13,826 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 5,723
3. 10004
> Location: New York, NY
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 94.0%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 48.3% – #85 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $204,949 – #54 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 2.8% – #10,357 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 2,899
2. 60606
> Location: Chicago, IL
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 94.2%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 54.3% – #32 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $121,982 – #980 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 1.1% – #18,726 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 2,929
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1. 02163
> Location: Boston, MA
> Adults over 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree: 94.6%
> Adults over 25 with a graduate or professional degree: 33.7% – #584 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Median household income: $57,989 – #11,155 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Estimated unemployment rate (16 and older): 5.1% – #2,435 highest of 20,747 ZIP codes
> Population: 1,343
Methodology
To determine America’s most educated ZIP codes, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year estimates of the percentage of adults 25 years and over with at least a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey.
We used ZIP Code Tabulation Areas – a Census geography type that defines areal representations of United States Postal Service ZIP codes – and refer to Census ZCTAs as ZIP codes.
ZIP codes were excluded if bachelor’s degree or higher attainment rates were not available in the 2020 ACS, if the ZIP code’s 25 and older population was less than 1,000, or if the sampling error associated with a ZIP code’s data was 15% or greater.
Additional information on the percentage of adults 25 years and over who have a graduate or professional degree; median household income; estimated unemployment rates for the 16 and older population in the civilian labor force; and population figures are also five-year estimates from the 2020 ACS.
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