Marion County workers saw their average weekly pay rise by nearly 9% between the first quarters of 2024 and 2025, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which released data for some of the country’s largest counties.
Why it matters: That was the highest wage growth of any county in the Midwest, and the fifth highest in the U.S.
- As seemingly everything gets more expensive and more Hoosiers struggle to cover their everyday costs, every penny counts.
By the numbers: Marion County’s paycheck increase brought Indy’s average weekly wages to $1,779, or around $137 more a week than last year’s average pay, per BLS’ preliminary numbers.
- In Hamilton County, average weekly wages rose 2.6%, or around $38, to $1,476.
- Hendricks County wages rose 2.2%, or around $35, to $1,083.
Caveat: The data tracks where people earn their money, not where they live.
Zoom out: The four counties ahead of Marion are Benton County, Arkansas (14.6%); San Mateo County, California (+11.4%); Monmouth County, New Jersey (+10.9%) and New York County, New York (+10.6%; that’s Manhattan).
- New York and San Mateo counties were also home to the country’s highest average weekly wages overall in Q1 2025, at about $4,500 and $4,400, respectively.
- Nationally, average weekly wages rose 4.1% to $1,589.
Yes, but: Inflation rose about 2.7% during the period, taking a bite out of everyone’s gains…