In 2006, Ebony Magazine declared Prince George’s County, Maryland, the wealthiest majority-Black county in America. Some of its richest residents posed for the magazine beside indoor pools and inside their wine cellars.
“When you’re here, you realize, oh, this is Black bougie heaven,” says Andre Perry, an expert in race and culture with the Brookings Institute.
As more Black residents packed the suburban enclave east of D.C. along the Potomac River, median income continued to rise. With its golf courses, gated communities, large homes and megachurches, Prince George’s County at one point was the second wealthiest county in Maryland, nirvana for its middle- and upper-middle-class Black residents.
“A lot of what motivates Black people is what motivates every American to get a better quality of life,” Perry said. “It’s housing, jobs, education. And that’s why people move to Prince George’s County.”
“People would say, if you come here and then if you leave, you’ll understand how special this thing is called Prince George’s County,” said Dr. Alvin Thorton, a former Howard University professor.
