U.S. counties and county equivalents ranked by adults age 25+ whose highest degree is a doctorate; people, 2020–2024 ACS 5-year.
Count of adults whose highest attainment is a doctorate is compared across United States county-level geographies for 2020–2024. Values count adults age 25 or older whose highest educational attainment is a doctorate degree. Los Angeles County, California ranks first at 107,457 people, ahead of Middlesex County, Massachusetts by 35,275 people. Alameda County, California records 43,658 people, making the first value 2.46 times the last.
| Rank | Entry | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles County, California | 107.5K | 2020–2024 |
| 2 | Middlesex County, Massachusetts | 72.18K | 2020–2024 |
| 3 | Cook County, Illinois | 70.6K | 2020–2024 |
| 4 | Santa Clara County, California | 66.16K | 2020–2024 |
| 5 | San Diego County, California | 61.83K | 2020–2024 |
| 6 | King County, Washington | 51K | 2020–2024 |
| 7 | Harris County, Texas | 50.41K | 2020–2024 |
| 8 | New York County, New York | 50.29K | 2020–2024 |
| 9 | Montgomery County, Maryland | 48.83K | 2020–2024 |
| 10 | Maricopa County, Arizona | 48.06K | 2020–2024 |
| 11 | Alameda County, California | 43.66K | 2020–2024 |
Publisher: U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset/table: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
Units: people
Date checked: 2026-06-24
Evidence: Supports the 2020–2024 count of adults whose highest attainment is a doctorate estimates and geography labels used in this ranking.
The 5-year estimates pool survey responses collected from 2020 through 2024 and are not a single-year 2024 snapshot. County geography includes county equivalents such as independent cities. The ranking uses absolute counts rather than rates. Values count adults age 25 or older whose highest educational attainment is a doctorate degree. ACS estimates are subject to sampling error; margins of error are not included here.
The ranking uses the 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimate for count of adults whose highest attainment is a doctorate across U.S. counties and county equivalents. Values are ordered from highest to lowest, with equal values retaining tied ranks. National totals and other summary geographies are excluded. Compact labels are rounded for readability without changing the source order.
All entries use the same Census source family, ACS 5-year product, 2020–2024 period and measurement unit (people), supporting a like-for-like ranking across the stated geographies.
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