Providing your children with a quality education can come with a steep price, and California is no exception.
Three of the Golden State's school districts ranked among the top 50 wealthiest in the nation, according to a recent report by MoneyLion, a financial technology platform.
To determine the 50 wealthiest school districts in the nation, MoneyLion analyzed the 2024 American Community Survey's income data for unified school districts, looking at each district's average household income and including the median household income as supplemental data.
Here's how much the report found residents earn in California's wealthiest school districts.
California's wealthiest school districts, according to report
The three school districts that landed on MoneyLion's wealthiest school districts rankings span the state.
Piedmont City Unified School District (No. 11) is nestled in an affluent enclave near Oakland; La Cañada Unified School District (No. 29) is in the heart of one of Los Angeles County's wealthiest suburbs; and Palo Alto Unified School District (No. 49) is in Silicon Valley.
Here is MoneyLion's breakdown for each district.
No. 11: Piedmont City Unified School District
- Average household income: $414,165
- Median household income: $250,000+
No. 29: La Cañada Unified School District
- Average household income: $346,340
- Median household income: $247,670
No. 49: Palo Alto Unified School District
- Average household income: $305,288
- Median household income: $218,111
What the report found across the rest of the nation
In its report, MoneyLion said it found that the "average household income starts at $302,041 to access these affluent districts."
It can also climb as high as $619,839 to attend schools in the No. 1 ranking district, Scarsdale Union Free School District in New York.
The Big Apple dominated the rankings, with 18 districts among the nation's 50 wealthiest school districts, the most of any state, according to MoneyLion.
Only two Southern states — Alabama and Texas — had school districts in the top 50.
Here are the 10 richest school districts in America, according to MoneyLion's analysis.
No. 1: Scarsdale Union Free School District
- State: New York
- Average household income: $619,839
- Median household income: $250,000+
No. 2: Riverdale School District 51J
- State: Oregon
- Average household income: $495,040
- Median household income: $250,000+
No. 3: Edgemont Union Free School District
- State: New York
- Average household income: $464,266
- Median household income: $250,000+
No. 4: Darien School District
- State: Connecticut
- Average household income: $455,057
- Median household income: $250,000+
No. 5: Ho-Ho-Kus Borough School District
- State: New Jersey
- Average household income: $441,123
- Median household income: $250,000+
No. 6: Highland Park Independent School District (Dallas County)
- State: Texas
- Average household income: $436,739
- Median household income: $250,000+
No. 7: Millburn Township School District
- State: New Jersey
- Average household income: $433,201
- Median household income: $250,000+
No. 8: Bronxville Union Free School District
- State: New York
- Average household income: $428,529
- Median household income: $215,815
No. 9: Alpine Borough School District
- State: New Jersey
- Average household income: $421,868
- Median household income: $246,944
No. 10: New Canaan School District
- State: Connecticut
- Average household income: $414,531
- Median household income: $250,000+
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California home to 3 of nation’s wealthiest school districts, report says
