diff --git a/policyengine_us/variables/household/demographic/geographic/county/county.py b/policyengine_us/variables/household/demographic/geographic/county/county.py
index e75c4ced0e3..41493fba4b8 100644
--- a/policyengine_us/variables/household/demographic/geographic/county/county.py
+++ b/policyengine_us/variables/household/demographic/geographic/county/county.py
@@ -36,22 +36,25 @@ def formula(household, period, parameters):
         # First look if county FIPS is provided; if so, map to county name
         county_fips: "pd.Series[str]" | None = household("county_fips", period)
 
-        COUNTY_FIPS_DATASET: "pd.DataFrame" = load_county_fips_dataset()
-
-        # Decode FIPS codes
-        county_fips_codes = COUNTY_FIPS_DATASET.set_index("county_fips")
         result = household("first_county_in_state", period)
         county_fips = np.asarray(county_fips).astype(str)
         known_fips = county_fips != ""
-        valid_fips = known_fips & np.isin(county_fips, county_fips_codes.index)
-        if valid_fips.any():
-            county_name = county_fips_codes.loc[
-                county_fips[valid_fips],
-                "county_name",
-            ]
-            state_code = county_fips_codes.loc[county_fips[valid_fips], "state"]
+        if known_fips.any():
+            COUNTY_FIPS_DATASET: "pd.DataFrame" = load_county_fips_dataset()
+            counties = pd.merge(
+                pd.DataFrame({"county_fips": county_fips[known_fips]}),
+                COUNTY_FIPS_DATASET,
+                on="county_fips",
+                how="left",
+            )
+            valid_fips = counties["county_name"].notna().to_numpy()
+            if not valid_fips.any():
+                return result
+            known_indices = np.where(known_fips)[0]
+            county_name = counties.loc[valid_fips, "county_name"]
+            state_code = counties.loc[valid_fips, "state"]
             result = np.array(result, copy=True)
-            result[valid_fips] = map_county_string_to_enum(
+            result[known_indices[valid_fips]] = map_county_string_to_enum(
                 county_name,
                 state_code,
             ).to_numpy()