Richest Cities in America by Median Household Income
Among US cities with at least 50,000 residents, McLean, VA has the highest median household income at $250,000+ — about 3.2 times the national median of $78,538. The table ranks the top 100.
Top 10 by Median Household Income
The top of the list — McLean, Cupertino, and Sammamish — is not made up of famous big cities but of their affluent satellites: suburbs and edge cities orbiting major job centers, where high dual incomes pair with expensive housing and very high rates of college education. Central cities themselves rarely crack the top 100, because their medians average together wealthy and poor neighborhoods alike.
A population floor matters enormously in this kind of ranking. With no minimum size, the list would be dominated by tiny gated enclaves of a few hundred households; we require at least 50,000 residents so that every entry is a substantial community. Each state also has its own version of this list — see the richest cities pages linked from any state page — and the state-level picture is in the richest states ranking.
Full Rankings
| # | City | Median Income | Population | Home Value | Bachelor's+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLean, VA | $250,000+ | 50,232 | $1,304,900 | 85.1% |
| 2 | Cupertino, CA | $231,139 | 58,886 | $2,000,000+ | 83.1% |
| 3 | Sammamish, WA | $227,273 | 66,375 | $1,240,300 | 77.0% |
| 4 | Palo Alto, CA | $220,408 | 67,231 | $2,000,000+ | 82.4% |
| 5 | Dublin, CA | $205,046 | 70,542 | $1,224,100 | 69.5% |
| 6 | San Ramon, CA | $197,358 | 85,734 | $1,359,100 | 71.2% |
| 7 | Bethesda, MD | $191,348 | 67,403 | $1,129,700 | 87.1% |
| 8 | Pleasanton, CA | $186,206 | 77,500 | $1,432,300 | 68.7% |
| 9 | Newton, MA | $184,989 | 88,504 | $1,202,500 | 80.7% |
| 10 | Sunnyvale, CA | $181,862 | 153,455 | $1,816,600 | 69.2% |
| 11 | Mountain View, CA | $179,917 | 82,363 | $1,927,400 | 74.3% |
| 12 | Hoboken, NJ | $176,943 | 58,340 | $872,100 | 83.1% |
| 13 | Milpitas, CA | $176,822 | 78,216 | $1,180,000 | 58.6% |
| 14 | Fremont, CA | $176,350 | 228,518 | $1,289,400 | 62.7% |
| 15 | Santa Clara, CA | $173,670 | 129,239 | $1,527,900 | 65.3% |
| 16 | El Dorado Hills, CA | $163,544 | 50,553 | $870,300 | 58.1% |
| 17 | Redmond, WA | $162,099 | 75,721 | $1,091,700 | 74.7% |
| 18 | Eastvale, CA | $161,322 | 70,179 | $752,000 | 42.3% |
| 19 | Bellevue, WA | $161,300 | 151,199 | $1,203,100 | 71.4% |
| 20 | Johns Creek, GA | $160,185 | 82,115 | $583,700 | 70.7% |
| 21 | Newport Beach, CA | $158,461 | 84,304 | $2,000,000+ | 69.6% |
| 22 | East Honolulu, HI | $158,398 | 50,961 | $1,172,300 | 60.6% |
| 23 | Ellicott City, MD | $157,891 | 73,737 | $644,300 | 69.6% |
| 24 | Flower Mound, TX | $157,737 | 77,886 | $514,100 | 64.3% |
| 25 | Highlands Ranch, CO | $155,847 | 101,437 | $672,600 | 66.8% |
| 26 | Livermore, CA | $153,602 | 85,870 | $1,038,600 | 50.6% |
| 27 | San Mateo, CA | $152,669 | 103,555 | $1,563,200 | 57.6% |
| 28 | Yorba Linda, CA | $152,060 | 67,407 | $1,091,700 | 56.2% |
| 29 | Naperville, IL | $150,937 | 149,424 | $509,900 | 71.7% |
| 30 | Redwood City, CA | $150,840 | 82,423 | $1,838,800 | 54.4% |
| 31 | Encinitas, CA | $150,471 | 61,585 | $1,466,000 | 67.1% |
| 32 | Alpharetta, GA | $146,581 | 66,355 | $605,700 | 71.7% |
| 33 | Frisco, TX | $146,158 | 210,238 | $595,400 | 66.0% |
| 34 | Redondo Beach, CA | $144,588 | 69,814 | $1,225,400 | 66.4% |
| 35 | Centreville, VA | $143,704 | 71,885 | $565,900 | 57.5% |
| 36 | Kirkland, WA | $143,533 | 91,614 | $1,022,500 | 64.4% |
| 37 | Castle Rock, CO | $143,031 | 76,614 | $621,700 | 54.9% |
| 38 | Bowie, MD | $141,831 | 57,771 | $442,000 | 50.1% |
| 39 | San Jose, CA | $141,565 | 990,054 | $1,187,800 | 46.5% |
| 40 | San Francisco, CA | $141,446 | 836,321 | $1,380,500 | 60.1% |
| 41 | The Woodlands, TX | $141,353 | 116,916 | $479,400 | 65.1% |
| 42 | Brookline, MA | $140,631 | 62,822 | $1,233,100 | 85.0% |
| 43 | Laguna Niguel, CA | $140,605 | 64,023 | $1,123,000 | 59.3% |
| 44 | Weston, FL | $140,501 | 67,952 | $644,100 | 67.6% |
| 45 | Leander, TX | $140,180 | 67,880 | $470,700 | 52.3% |
| 46 | Arlington, VA | $140,160 | 235,463 | $864,800 | 77.1% |
| 47 | Levittown, NY | $139,696 | 51,557 | $564,000 | 37.6% |
| 48 | Brentwood, CA | $139,567 | 64,609 | $791,600 | 38.8% |
| 49 | Reston, VA | $139,515 | 63,542 | $616,000 | 70.8% |
| 50 | Carlsbad, CA | $139,326 | 114,500 | $1,156,900 | 61.4% |
| 51 | Folsom, CA | $139,263 | 82,140 | $702,200 | 54.7% |
| 52 | Apex, NC | $138,442 | 67,765 | $514,800 | 66.6% |
| 53 | Lakeville, MN | $138,119 | 72,480 | $425,200 | 50.9% |
| 54 | Castro Valley, CA | $138,069 | 65,389 | $1,058,200 | 43.9% |
| 55 | Aliso Viejo, CA | $137,970 | 51,320 | $863,800 | 57.1% |
| 56 | Sugar Land, TX | $137,511 | 109,735 | $406,600 | 62.4% |
| 57 | Union City, CA | $137,194 | 68,141 | $1,058,200 | 45.3% |
| 58 | Mission Viejo, CA | $136,071 | 92,415 | $946,300 | 51.1% |
| 59 | South San Francisco, CA | $135,909 | 64,487 | $1,160,100 | 40.1% |
| 60 | Walnut Creek, CA | $135,665 | 69,790 | $1,031,100 | 69.4% |
| 61 | San Clemente, CA | $134,735 | 63,510 | $1,220,500 | 51.7% |
| 62 | Queen Creek, AZ | $134,719 | 66,369 | $576,600 | 44.8% |
| 63 | Carmel, IN | $134,602 | 100,501 | $455,500 | 74.5% |
| 64 | Thousand Oaks, CA | $134,367 | 125,676 | $951,200 | 50.9% |
| 65 | Collierville, TN | $134,319 | 51,212 | $458,300 | 60.6% |
| 66 | Plymouth, MN | $133,865 | 79,526 | $474,700 | 64.8% |
| 67 | Alameda, CA | $132,015 | 76,876 | $1,203,900 | 60.3% |
| 68 | Gilroy, CA | $131,554 | 58,561 | $975,800 | 28.6% |
| 69 | Madison, AL | $131,436 | 58,335 | $367,900 | 65.9% |
| 70 | Lake Forest, CA | $131,378 | 85,846 | $876,300 | 50.1% |
| 71 | Draper, UT | $130,680 | 50,159 | $726,000 | 50.8% |
| 72 | Severn, MD | $130,627 | 58,041 | $465,600 | 44.6% |
| 73 | Irvine, CA | $129,647 | 308,160 | $1,115,400 | 70.6% |
| 74 | Maple Grove, MN | $129,481 | 70,539 | $397,400 | 55.9% |
| 75 | Cary, NC | $129,399 | 176,686 | $525,200 | 70.2% |
| 76 | Parker, CO | $129,342 | 60,115 | $613,200 | 53.7% |
| 77 | Edina, MN | $129,225 | 53,125 | $624,000 | 72.2% |
| 78 | Columbia, MD | $129,173 | 105,871 | $480,300 | 63.5% |
| 79 | Allen, TX | $129,130 | 107,684 | $429,900 | 56.1% |
| 80 | Centennial, CO | $128,167 | 107,386 | $626,700 | 61.9% |
| 81 | Fishers, IN | $128,141 | 100,918 | $370,200 | 66.2% |
| 82 | Eden Prairie, MN | $127,732 | 63,249 | $463,300 | 64.7% |
| 83 | Somerville, MA | $127,056 | 80,549 | $899,400 | 68.0% |
| 84 | Cambridge, MA | $126,469 | 117,794 | $1,040,500 | 80.2% |
| 85 | South Jordan, UT | $126,400 | 80,331 | $614,800 | 46.5% |
| 86 | Woodbury, MN | $126,222 | 76,945 | $434,900 | 63.2% |
| 87 | Lehi, UT | $125,860 | 81,039 | $567,100 | 50.2% |
| 88 | West Hartford, CT | $125,616 | 63,809 | $391,200 | 66.3% |
| 89 | Roswell, GA | $124,422 | 92,577 | $520,500 | 64.8% |
| 90 | Cedar Park, TX | $123,972 | 77,474 | $474,800 | 55.2% |
| 91 | Horizon West, FL | $123,586 | 62,152 | $498,700 | 58.1% |
| 92 | Chino Hills, CA | $122,600 | 78,024 | $830,000 | 48.4% |
| 93 | Rockville, MD | $122,384 | 67,218 | $658,300 | 64.6% |
| 94 | Elk Grove, CA | $122,229 | 177,221 | $603,400 | 38.0% |
| 95 | Seattle, WA | $121,984 | 741,440 | $912,100 | 67.5% |
| 96 | Mount Pleasant, SC | $121,364 | 92,662 | $667,100 | 66.2% |
| 97 | Gilbert, AZ | $121,351 | 271,118 | $518,600 | 47.5% |
| 98 | Broomfield, CO | $121,025 | 75,110 | $631,600 | 58.6% |
| 99 | Rocklin, CA | $120,916 | 72,340 | $673,300 | 48.5% |
| 100 | Wake Forest, NC | $120,777 | 51,199 | $435,000 | 57.9% |
Limited to places with at least 50,000 residents.
The ACS top-codes median household income at $250,001 and median home value at $2,000,001; a value at that cap means "at least this much."
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates.
About This Ranking
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, the Bureau's most reliable dataset for state and local statistics. Because estimates pool five years of survey responses, they describe a recent period rather than a single moment, and small differences between closely ranked entries may fall within the survey's margin of error. Learn more about the data on our methodology page or at data.census.gov.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the richest city in America?
Among cities with at least 50,000 residents, McLean, Virginia has the highest median household income at $250,000+.
Why are the richest cities mostly suburbs?
A city's median income reflects all of its households. Large central cities contain both wealthy and low-income neighborhoods, which pulls their medians toward the middle, while smaller suburban cities can be uniformly affluent.
How does the richest city compare to the national median?
McLean's median household income of $250,000+ is about 3.2 times the national median of $78,538.