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When you’re asked where the wealthiest in America live, you may think of New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago. But what about the non-inner city dwellers?
According to FiveThirtyEight, approximately 58% of Americans describe themselves as living in the suburbs. As cities become overpopulated and more expensive, it is no surprise that over half of America now lives in the suburbs of major cities.
With the move to the suburbs because of a lower cost of living comes the ability for sprawling suburban neighborhoods for some of the nation’s wealthiest families.
So, where are the richest suburbs in America? Here is an overview of our top 10:
- Atherton, CA
- Los Altos Hills, CA
- Portola Valley, CA
- Sands Point, NY
- Woodside, CA
- Hillsborough, CA
- Brookville, NY
- Monte Sereno, CA
- Ross, CA
- Old Brookville, NY
Want to live in California or New York? If you are interested in moving to any of our top ten richest suburbs, California or New York had better be on your bucket list.
Because of the two major urban hubs, New York and San Francisco, it is not surprising that the economic success of these cities resulted in such wealthy suburbs.
What makes these suburbs the wealthiest and what do they have to offer their residents? Zippia’s team has found what makes these neighborhoods some of the best in America.
How We Determined The Richest Suburbs Around The US
Figuring out the richest ‘burbs is pretty simple; we just needed to find the suburbs with the highest income and home prices.
We used data from the most recent American Community Survey 2012-2016 data:
- Median household incomes
- Median home values
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of one of the 100 biggest cities in America.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 2,490 suburbs to evaluate around America.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 2,490 in each of the two categories, where 1 was the richest.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a rich index.
And finally, we crowned the suburb with the highest rich index the Richest Suburbs In America.” We’re lookin’ at you, Atherton, CA.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in some of the richest places in America. Or skip to the end to see the list of the 100 richest suburbs.
1. Atherton, CA
Population: 7,127
Median Income: $250,000
Median Home Value: $2,000,000
First up, Atherton, California, as America’s richest suburb. Located in the San Francisco metro area, Atherton is 5 square miles of suburb luxury.
According to Business Insider, the average selling price for a property in Atherton is nearly $6 million dollars, but many are worth over $10 million. The neighborhood is mansion upon mansion with gated communities and luscious gardens.
With a median income of $250,000, residents of Atherton are high-tech employees at companies like Google or Tesla. Are you ready to move to Atherton?
2. Los Altos Hills, CA
Population: 8,376
Median Income: $243,701
Median Home Value: $2,000,000
Next up, comes Los Altos Hills, another suburb in California five miles from Stanford University.
Unlike Atherton, Los Altos Hills is not just mansion after mansion. The suburb is home to horse stables and lush greenery. The vibrant community hosts regular art classes and events, holds meetings with the mayor, and is also committed to sustainable living.
Interested? You may want to take some time to save before moving here, as homes are selling from $1 million to over $50 million dollars.
3. Portola Valley, CA
Population: 4,550
Median Income: $232,981
Median Home Value: $2,000,000
Located in San Mateo County, Portola Valley is filled with eclectic, multi-million dollar homes.
If you are looking for a suburban home outside of San Francisco with a touch of nature, Portola Valley may be your pick. The suburb is filled with trails through a well-maintained network throughout the area.
The town also is home to the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve and historic landmarks. So if you are looking for a space for a unique home in Silicon Valley with many outdoor amenities, check out the latest house listings for Portola Valley.
4. Sands Point, NY
Population: 2,859
Median Income: $231,667
Median Home Value: $2,000,000
Next, we turn away from Silicon Valley to New York on our top ten richest suburbs in America list. Sands Point Village easily takes the number four slot, as a village in Long Island, New York.
Interestingly, Sands Point village operates very independently. They have their own water, police departments, and roads. They also have very expensive houses, ranging from $2-$30+ million dollars.
Sands Point village is also home to the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults.
5. Woodside, CA
Population: 5,496
Median Income: $223,934
Median Home Value: $2,000,000
For our top five, we go back to California to Woodside, another suburb in San Mateo County.
Woodside has an interesting history, with its name coming from a purchase during the California Gold Rush in 1849. It also has a close relationship with another suburb on our list, Portola Valley.
As it is located near Stanford, Woodside has other interesting perks, in addition to multi-million dollar homes. It is also home to the Djerassi Artists Residency, one of few in the United States to house artists for free.
6. Hillsborough, CA
Population: 11,312
Median Income: $216,292
Median Home Value: $2,000,000
Hillsborough comes up next on our top 10 list and where might it be located? You guessed it! San Mateo County, California.
If you want to be surrounded by large houses, Hillsborough is your town, with a house minimum size of 2500 sq feet. It is also where the infamous “Flintstone house” is located, so who wouldn’t want a gentrified caveman residence as your neighbor?
Brookville NY
7. Brookville, NY
Population: 3,556
Median Income: $237,083
Median Home Value: $1,835,200
And back to New York with number seven on our top ten list. Brookville is also located in Long Island, New York.
Brookville is known for lavish mansions with a historic touch. The village even has a royal past, with the Luxembourg royal family seeking refuge in Brookville during Nazi occupation during WWII.
Properties in Brookville are selling from $1-$10+ million dollars so you may want to have a hefty amount of pocket change before you move up to Long Island.
8. Monte Sereno, CA
Population: 3,514
Median Income: $202,321
Median Home Value: $2,000,000
Monte Sereno is located in Santa Clara County, California, and is number eight on our top ten richest suburbs in America list.
About 10 miles from San Jose, Monte Sereno may not be next door to the other suburbs on our list, but this suburb is still impressive. Like the others, this suburb is almost entirely residential mansions. No apartments allowed here.
One notable neighborhood event in Monte Sereno is the yearly Christmas decorations. Some residents spend upwards of $150k on Christmas decorations alone!
Ross CA
9. Ross, CA
Population: 2,381
Median Income: $199,107
Median Home Value: $2,000,000
Ross is a suburb located just north of San Francisco. San Francisco seems to be a people’s favorite for upscale housing.
According to the 2010 census data, 30% of the population are under the age of 18. So if you are looking to raise a family in an upscale neighborhood in Silicon Valley, Ross town may be a good option.
The median salary for residents in Ross is nearly $200k, making this an incredibly wealthy neighborhood, despite being number nine on our top 10 list.
Old Brookville NY
10. Old Brookville, NY
Population: 2,154
Median Income: $202,083
Median Home Value: $1,753,500
Wrapping up our top 10 is Old Brookville in New York. Located next to Brookville in Long Island, this village is packed with expansive mansions.
Old Brookville, like many of the other villages in Long Island that made our top 10 list, creates an exclusive living experience. They are a close-knit community that has a very involved governmental structure.
If you are looking for some nature near the massive New York metro, they even have their Louis C. Clark sanctuary.
Wrapping Up The Richest Burbs In America
If you are wondering where the richest suburbs in America are, look no further than Long Island and Silicon Valley.
These high-class neighborhoods are packed with multi-million dollar houses, exclusive amenities, and local governments.
So how can you get into these neighborhoods? For starters, you may want a slight salary increase– many people living in these suburbs make over $200k a year.
Detailed List Of The Richest Suburbs
| Rank | Suburb | Home Values |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atherton, CA | $2,000,000 |
| 2 | Los Altos Hills, CA | $2,000,000 |
| 3 | Portola Valley, CA | $2,000,000 |
| 4 | Sands Point, NY | $2,000,000 |
| 5 | Woodside, CA | $2,000,000 |
| 6 | Hillsborough, CA | $2,000,000 |
| 7 | Brookville, NY | $1,835,200 |
| 8 | Monte Sereno, CA | $2,000,000 |
| 9 | Ross, CA | $2,000,000 |
| 10 | Old Brookville, NY | $1,753,500 |
| 11 | Los Altos, CA | $2,000,000 |
| 12 | Scarsdale, NY | $1,318,500 |
| 13 | Munsey Park, NY | $1,420,000 |
| 14 | Palos Verdes Estates, CA | $1,609,500 |
| 15 | Oyster Bay Cove, NY | $1,506,900 |
| 16 | Piedmont, CA | $1,572,700 |
| 17 | Belvedere, CA | $2,000,000 |
| 18 | Clyde Hill, WA | $1,578,900 |
| 19 | Belle Meade, TN | $1,387,300 |
| 20 | Medina, WA | $1,654,600 |
| 21 | Highland Park, TX | $1,253,600 |
| 22 | Kenilworth, IL | $1,095,600 |
| 23 | Saratoga, CA | $1,742,900 |
| 24 | University Park, TX | $1,102,500 |
| 25 | Mission Hills, KS | $942,400 |
| 26 | Old Westbury, NY | $1,675,000 |
| 27 | Winnetka, IL | $989,600 |
| 28 | Bronxville, NY | $995,100 |
| 29 | Paradise Valley, AZ | $1,332,600 |
| 30 | Flower Hill, NY | $1,077,500 |
| 31 | Lake Success, NY | $1,150,500 |
| 32 | West University Place, TX | $917,800 |
| 33 | Orinda, CA | $1,125,000 |
| 34 | Tiburon, CA | $1,847,800 |
| 35 | Rye, NY | $1,107,000 |
| 36 | Great Neck Estates, NY | $1,230,500 |
| 37 | Glencoe, IL | $891,300 |
| 38 | Manhattan Beach, CA | $1,537,200 |
| 39 | Mill Valley, CA | $1,201,600 |
| 40 | Upper Saddle River, NJ | $905,100 |
| 41 | East Hills, NY | $921,600 |
| 42 | Hinsdale, IL | $859,400 |
| 43 | Larchmont, NY | $1,060,700 |
| 44 | Cupertino, CA | $1,214,300 |
| 45 | Essex Fells, NJ | $832,400 |
| 46 | Palo Alto, CA | $1,702,100 |
| 47 | Franklin Lakes, NJ | $944,900 |
| 48 | San Marino, CA | $1,518,400 |
| 49 | South Barrington, IL | $804,800 |
| 50 | Bellaire, TX | $770,500 |
| 51 | Ladue, MO | $771,500 |
| 52 | Lafayette, CA | $1,127,400 |
| 53 | Lake Forest, IL | $831,800 |
| 54 | Forest Hills, TN | $730,200 |
| 55 | Pelham Manor, NY | $854,700 |
| 56 | Mountain Lakes, NJ | $825,100 |
| 57 | Bloomfield Hills, MI | $794,600 |
| 58 | Saddle River, NJ | $1,784,500 |
| 59 | North Caldwell, NJ | $713,500 |
| 60 | Kings Point, NY | $1,724,800 |
| 61 | Danville, CA | $919,500 |
| 62 | Riverwoods, IL | $685,200 |
| 63 | San Carlos, CA | $1,107,600 |
| 64 | Menlo Park, CA | $1,581,700 |
| 65 | Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ | $716,800 |
| 66 | West Lake Hills, TX | $783,900 |
| 67 | Moraga, CA | $971,700 |
| 68 | Woodcliff Lake, NJ | $756,100 |
| 69 | Los Gatos, CA | $1,338,400 |
| 70 | Oak Brook, IL | $825,400 |
| 71 | Lawrence, NY | $856,000 |
| 72 | Rumson, NJ | $956,600 |
| 73 | Chatham, NJ | $729,000 |
| 74 | Rolling Hills Estates, CA | $1,096,400 |
| 75 | Long Grove, IL | $652,100 |
| 76 | Villa Park, CA | $1,030,800 |
| 77 | Englewood Cliffs, NJ | $984,700 |
| 78 | East Williston, NY | $791,100 |
| 79 | Tenafly, NJ | $750,800 |
| 80 | Fair Haven, NJ | $664,500 |
| 81 | Westfield, NJ | $689,400 |
| 82 | Summit, NJ | $822,000 |
| 83 | Allendale, NJ | $680,000 |
| 84 | Mercer Island, WA | $956,200 |
| 85 | Corte Madera, CA | $1,061,700 |
| 86 | Frontenac, MO | $692,100 |
| 87 | Ridgewood, NJ | $724,400 |
| 88 | Terrell Hills, TX | $635,100 |
| 89 | Haworth, NJ | $644,700 |
| 90 | Hermosa Beach, CA | $1,166,800 |
| 91 | Malibu, CA | $1,802,800 |
| 92 | San Ramon, CA | $810,700 |
| 93 | Town And Country, MO | $659,700 |
| 94 | Key Biscayne, FL | $1,034,800 |
| 95 | Marvin, NC | $618,900 |
| 96 | Pinecrest, FL | $840,900 |
| 97 | Anchorage, KY | $634,300 |
| 98 | Pleasanton, CA | $828,900 |
| 99 | Newport Beach, CA | $1,584,900 |
| 100 | North Hills, NY | $957,600 |
Author
Heidi Cope is a former writer for the Zippia Career Advice blog. Her writing focused primarily on Zippia's suite of rankings and general career advice. After leaving Zippia, Heidi joined The Mighty as a writer and editor, among other positions. She received her BS from UNC Charlotte in German Studies.
