The median household income in the United States in 2018 was $61,937. Median income, however, varies drastically between states and even more so between cities.
Using data from the US Census, Bloomberg evaluated inflation-adjusted household data with a minimum of 2,000 households. The 6,250 cities that met the criteria were then ranked based on their average household income to determine which cities were the 100 richest in the United States.
The top ten richest cities in the United States are:
Atherton, CA has the highest average household income of $450,696, more than seven times higher than the national median income. Highland Park, Illinois, number 100 on the list, has an average household income of $209,000, more than three times higher.
The states with the highest number of the richest cities are California with 23, New Jersey with 18, and New York with 13. More than half of the 100 richest cities in the United States were in the New York City area or California. Accessibility to a city center is typically a key characteristic of the cities on the list. Atherton is close to San Francisco, Scarsdale is close to New York City, and Cherry Hills Village is close to Denver.
Thirty-seven of the 100 richest cities are located in six counties in the United States. Westchester County, New York (nine); Bergen County, New Jersey (seven); Fairfield County, Connecticut (five); Los Angeles County, California (five); Cook County, Illinois (six); and Montgomery County, Maryland (five).
Additionally, the top 100 richest cities in the United States have quality school systems and proximity to city centers or high-profile companies such as Google or Facebook.