In a recent in-depth analysis conducted by online news source 24/7 Wall Street, the nation’s school districts were scrutinized for wealth and poverty. The results suggest that schools that receive higher funding from taxes have students that perform significantly better on tests. Students from rich districts also have a higher probability of getting a college degree and becoming successful in a career due to the higher quality of education they receive. Here is a breakdown of the five richest and poorest schools in the United States.

The Five Richest School Districts

With the exception of Oregon, the country’s richest school districts are all located within commuting distance of New York City. The average family in these districts earns around $250,000 per year.

Scarsdale Union Free School District, New York

The nation’s wealthiest school district receives 90 percent of its funds from local taxes. The average expenditure on a student is well over $26,000.

Weston School District, Connecticut

Over half the residents of Weston school district make over $200,000 a year, and less than one percent fall below the national poverty line. The high school is ranked as fourth in the nation in terms of testing.

Riverdale School District, Oregon

The median home value for this area is over one million dollars. Most of the school funding comes from property taxes. Students of the district consistently outperform the rest of Oregon in test scores.

Chappaqua Central School District, New York

This highly educated area outside of New York City collects an average of $23,500 dollars in property taxes from each home. This is around the same amount that is allotted to each student in the district. Students here tend to excel on national tests and be more prepared to enter college.

Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District, New York

The average income of residents from this district is more than three times that of the nation as a whole. Local funding accounts for over 80 percent of school spending, and nearly $30,000 dollars is spent for each student per year.

The Five Poorest School Districts

These districts were overwhelmingly located in rural areas in the south. The average household in these districts rakes in around $19,000 every year.

Barbourville Independent School District, Kentucky

The poorest school district in the nation presents shocking conditions for children. Forty percent of them live in households that fall below the poverty line. Only a little over $8,000 is spent per student per year.

Monticello Independent School District, Kentucky

Nearly half the students in this school district fall below the national poverty line. Only a little over half will graduate and receive diplomas. Not a single family in this district earns over $200,000 dollars a year.

North Bolivar School District, Mississippi

This rural, impoverished school district only has 716 students. Only 16 percent of district funding is collected from local taxes. Over one-third of the district’s households earn less than $15,000 a year.

West Bolivar School District, Mississippi

This district has one of the highest rates of poverty in the country. An astounding 59 percent of residents are just scraping by, living well below the poverty line. As a result of lack of school funding, this school district maintains some of the worst testing scores.

Santa Maria Independent School District, Texas

While the students of this school district receive adequate funding, nearly 100 percent of it comes from state and federal funding. Ninety-five percent of students will not be educated beyond the high school level.

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Rhonda Edwards is a school administrator and guest author at Top Education Degrees, where she has contributed a number of helpful articles about top-rated online degree programs.