You may have heard of Scarsdale, the celebrated village in New York's leafy Westchester County. You may not be familiar with West University Place, a relatively unsung suburb of Houston.
They are the two most affluent suburbs in America, according to a recent analysis.
A ranking of the nation's wealthiest suburbs, as measured by household income, finds much of America's wealth concentrated in a few metropolitan areas, including New York City, Houston, Dallas and San Francisco. Eight of the 10 most affluent suburbs are in three states: California, New York and Texas.
The nation’s wealthiest suburb is Scarsdale, with an average household income of $612,591 in 2024, according to an analysis released June 1 by the personal finance site MoneyLion. West
University Place ranks second, with an average income of $439,594.
The Westchester suburb of Rye dropped to third in the annual ranking, with an income of $428,806. In a 2025 ranking, Rye placed second.
MoneyLion ranked the nation's 50 most affluent suburbs by household income, as measured in the 2024 American Community Survey. The ranking covers cities of at least 5,000 households that qualify as suburbs of larger cities.
No two suburbs are alike, but the cities in this ranking share some features in common. Many are on the water, or near it. Several are college towns. Affluent suburbs tend to sit a good distance from the urban center but close enough for a sane commute.
"You're looking at better schools. You're looking at a limited housing supply," said Rudri Patel, a certified financial expert at MoneyLion, speaking to USA TODAY in June.
Home prices tend to run high in suburbs filled with high earners. In Los Altos, California, the nation's fourth-wealthiest suburb, the average home costs $4.8 million.
Patel notes another potential downside to wealthy suburbs: They can be magnets for white-collar crime.
"Where you see affluence, you also see risk of identity theft and wire fraud and the potential for scams," she said.
If you don’t see your favorite wealthy suburb on the list, that may be the result of statistical choices that shaped the results. This MoneyLion ranking considers mean household incomes, which can be skewed by the ultra-rich. Other rankings have looked at median incomes, which are often lower.
By median income, the wealthiest U.S. city is Sammamish, Washington, a Seattle suburb, according to a 2025 U.S. News analysis. The median household income in Sammamish is $238,750.
Some wealthy suburbs were too small for the MoneyLion ranking. The Chicago suburb of Kenilworth and the Washington, D.C., suburb of Chevy Chase, for example, have fewer than 5,000 households each.
The 10 wealthiest suburbs in America
Here are mini-profiles of the 10 wealthiest suburbs in America.
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Scarsdale, New York. This New York suburb, in Westchester County, boasts an average household income of $612,591 as of 2024. The average Scarsdale home is worth $1.7 million as of April 2026.
- West University Place, Texas. An unsung suburb of Houston, the city is named for nearby Rice University. Average household income is $439,594. The average home is worth $1.7 million.
- Rye, New York. Another Westchester suburb, Rye is known for its waterfront. Average household income is $428,806. Average home value is $2.4 million.
- Los Altos, California. A suburb of San Jose, Los Altos is better-known as part of Silicon Valley. Household incomes average $417,182. The average home is worth a whopping $4.8 million.
- Paradise Valley, Arizona. This Phoenix suburb is known for golf resorts and spas. The average household income is $408,500, and home values average $3.7 million. Fun fact: Paradise Valley didn't appear anywhere in the 2025 rankings of wealthy suburbs because it was too small: Its household count didn't reach 5,000 until 2024.
- University Park, Texas. The word “university” seems to go a long way if you’re a suburb in Texas. This Dallas suburb is named for Southern Methodist University. The average household income is $407,253, and home values average $2.6 million.
- Alamo, California. This suburb of San Francisco and Oakland sits in Contra Costa County. Household incomes average $401,221. Home values average $2.6 million.
- Southlake, Texas. This Dallas/Fort Worth suburb is named for Grapevine Lake. Household incomes average $384,530. Home values average $1.3 million.
- McLean, Virginia. The District of Columbia's most affluent suburb is McLean, home to diplomats and spies. The average household income is $379,689, and home prices average $1.8 million.
- Orinda, California. Another San Francisco suburb, Orinda sits in Contra Costa County, east of Berkeley. Household incomes average $376,741, and home values average $2 million.
Here are the richest suburbs of other big cities
Don’t see your city or suburb on the Top 10? Here are some big metros and their wealthiest suburbs:
- Chicago: The Windy City's most affluent suburb is Hinsdale, Illinois, ranked 11th in the nation. Most people associate Chicago’s North Shore with suburban wealth, but the city’s wealthiest suburb sits to the west. Hinsdale has an average household income of $367,874. Home values average $1.3 million.
- Boston: Wellesley, Massachusetts, ranked 12th in the nation, is home to Wellesley and Babson colleges. Household incomes average $367,512, and home values average $2.1 million.
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Miami-Fort Lauderdale: Palm Beach, part-time home to President Donald Trump, ranks 13th among suburbs nationally. Household incomes average $357,254, and the average home value is an eye-popping $10.3 million.
- Los Angeles: L.A.'s wealthiest suburb is La Cañada Flintridge, at the edge of the San Gabriel Valley, ranked 20th in the nation. Household incomes average $329,425. Home values average $2.5 million.
- Seattle: The wealthiest Seattle suburb is Mercer Island, which is an actual island, east of the city. It ranks 23rd nationally. Household incomes average $318,528, and home values average $2.5 million.
- Birmingham, Alabama: Mountain Brook ranks 24th among wealthiest U.S. suburbs, with an average household income of $318,286 and an average home value of $1.1 million.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here are the 10 wealthiest suburbs in America
