The system of governance in the United Kingdom has varied over the years, but the one aspect of administration that has remained unchanged is the creation of sub-divisional units for efficient administration aka Counties. The UK has constituent nations, one being a province (Northern Ireland) and the others are England, Scotland, and Wales. Each of those nations contains counties, which represent the higher order of local government in the UK and this article discusses in detail the Top Richest Counties in the UK, with the county of Surrey topping the list.
Please go through this article for more information on the richest countries in the UK.
List of Top Richest Counties in the UK:
The table below highlights the top richest counties in the UK on the basis of property owned per head and total property wealth:
S. No.
| County
| Property per Head
| Total Property Wealth
|
|---|
|
1.
| Surrey
|
£255,125
| £287.6 billion
|
|
2.
| Dorset
|
£207,220
| £83.8 billion
|
|
3.
| Buckinghamshire
|
£198,490
| £98.8 billion
|
|
4.
| East Sussex
|
£196,300
| £101.2 billion
|
|
5.
| Essex
|
£178,705
| £252.4 billion
|
|
6.
| Hertfordshire
|
£175,492
| £194.3 billion
|
|
7.
| Devon
|
£161,817
| £121.3 billion
|
|
8.
| Hampshire
|
£159,171
| £206.4 billion
|
|
9.
| Kent
|
£157,288
| £224.5 billion
|
|
10.
| Warwickshire
|
£145,431
| £77.9 billion
|
Top Richest Counties in the UK:
There are no states in the UK; Instead there are sub divisional administrative units called counties and these counties come under a specific region. We find that in the UK, the South East region is the wealthiest with the most amount of property wealth (£1.6 trillion), followed by London, South West and the Eastern regions. Given below is a detailed discussion of the top richest counties of UK that are found in these regions :
1. Surrey:
County Name
| Surrey
|
|---|
Region
| South East England
|
|---|
Property per Head
|
£255,125
|
|---|
Population
| 1.1 million (approx.)
|
|---|
With more than one fifth of its land being covered by trees, Surrey in South East England is the most densely-wooded county in UK and also the richest one. The county is also famous for inspiring influential writers like Jane Austen and their works. Surrey is popularly known for its retail, trades and logistics industries, healthcare, business and professional services, as well as manufacturing industries.
2. Dorset:
County Name
| Dorset
|
|---|
Region
| South West England
|
|---|
Property Per Head
|
£207,220
|
|---|
Population
| 750,000 (approx.)
|
|---|
Dorset, located in South Western England, is the second richest county in UK with a rich historical significance. There are many buildings of historical significance in the county like the Portland Castle and Corfe Castle. Dorset is also popular for its literary connections with author and poet Thomas Hardy who was born there. Dorset is home to a number of Ministry of Defence facilities, manufacturing and retail industries and is known for its maritime transport industry.
3. Buckinghamshire:
County Name
| Buckinghamshire
|
|---|
Region
| South East England
|
|---|
Property Per Head
|
£198,490
|
|---|
Population
| 553,300 (approx.)
|
|---|
Buckinghamshire in South East England is the third richest county in the UK and is most known for its open countryside and natural scenic beauty , like the Chiltern Hills Area and the River Thames. It has a great historical significance in the sense that the county is home to many historic houses. The county is also known for its space propulsion industry (Westcott Space Cluster) and film and television sectors (Pinewood Studios and the National Film and Television School) and is also home to Silverstone Park and its IT sector.
4. East Sussex:
County Name
| East Sussex
|
|---|
Region
| South East England
|
|---|
Property Per Head
| £196,300
|
|---|
Population
| 566,900 (approx.)
|
|---|
Located in in South East England region, East Sussex is a part of the historic county of Sussex and is the fourth richest county in the UK. The county is famous for its architectural remains, like the 12th-13th century castles, abbeys, and churches. Agriculture, healthcare, tourism and manufacturing are the main economic foundation of this county.
5. Essex:
County Name
| Essex
|
|---|
Region
| East of England
|
|---|
Property Per Head
|
£178,705
|
|---|
Population
| 863,728 (approx.)
|
|---|
Essex, situated in East of England region is the fifth richest county of UK and has the longest coast out of any English county (562 miles). The county is known for its booming agricultural and manufacturing sectors and a rapidly expanding tourism industry, along with commercial wineries and craft breweries.
6. Hertfordshire:
County Name
| Hertfordshire
|
|---|
Region
| East of England
|
|---|
Property Per Head
|
£175,492
|
|---|
Population
| 1,198,800 (approx.)
|
|---|
Located in East of England region, Hertfordshire county is the sixth richest in the UK and known for its historic estates, countryside and the glorious cathedrals. The county has many important economic sectors like life sciences, agri-tech, advanced engineering and manufacturing, Film, media and creative, health & social care etc.
7. Devon:
County Name
| Devon
|
|---|
Region
| South West England
|
|---|
Property Per Head
|
£161,817
|
|---|
Population
| 1,194,166 (approx.)
|
|---|
Devon county, located in the South West England region is the seventh richest county in the UK and is popular among tourists for its stunning coastline, beautiful beaches and the Devonshire cream tea. Devon is very famous for its unique cuisine like Devon cheese, pasty ,fudge, seafood etc. The county's economy is based on health, retail ,tourism sector, agriculture, education, manufacturing industries and real estate sector.
8. Hampshire:
County Name
| Hampshire
|
|---|
Region
| South East England
|
|---|
Property Per Head
|
£159,171
|
|---|
Population
| 1,844,245 (approx.)
|
|---|
Hampshire, also famous as the birthplace of modern fly-fishing, wind-surfing and bird-watching is located in the South East England region and is the eighth richest county in the UK. The county has always had an agricultural background , its main focus now being dairying and the production of corn (maize). Key sectors of the county are Marine, Aerospace & Defence, Financial & Business Services and Tourism.
9. Kent:
County Name
| Kent
|
|---|
Region
| South East England
|
|---|
Property Per Head
|
£157,288
|
|---|
Population
| 1,576,069 (approx.)
|
|---|
Located in the region of South East England, Kent is popularly known as the 'Garden of England' because of its beautiful gardens and orchards. The main economic sectors of the county are life sciences, manufacturing, tourism, viticulture, logistics and distribution.
10. Warwickshire:
County Name
| Warwickshire
|
|---|
Region
| West Midlands
|
|---|
Property Per Head
|
£145,431
|
|---|
Population
|
571,010
|
|---|
Situated in the West Midlands region of England, Warwickshire is rural with woodlands, fields, and pastures covering the county. It is also the tenth richest county in the UK. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare, for housing the Warwick castle. In addition Warwickshire is a major center of advanced manufacturing, which includes automotive, rail, aerospace and motorsport and the major industries of this county are coal mining, textiles, engineering and cement production.
Related Articles:
List of All Cities in the United Kingdom
List of Countries in the United Kingdom
Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom
What is the capital of England?
Conclusion:
We find that majority of the top richest counties of the UK are present in the constituent nation of England, specially in the South Eastern region of England. Surrey takes the top spot as the richest county in the UK with a total property worth of £287.6 billion followed by Dorset and Buckinghamshire. Most of these counties have been present since the ancient kingdoms dominated UK and are all historically very significant. They all display a good mixture of tradition meets modernity. The wealth of these counties is also because of the advanced technological developments taking place in these regions.
FAQ's on Top Richest Counties in the UK:
Which county in the UK is famous as birthplace of William Shakespeare?
Warwickshire county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
What is the poorest region of the UK?
The region of West Midlands is the poorest region of the UK due to its high poverty rate compared to others (27%).
Which is the second most richest county in the UK?
Dorset in South West England is the second richest county in the UK with a total property wealth of £83.8 billion.
Which is the richest region in the UK?
South East of England is the richest region in the UK, as it contains the richest counties of the UK like Surrey, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex etc.
Which is the richest county in the UK?
Surrey in South East England, takes the top spot as the richest county in the UK with a total property worth of £287.6 billion.