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What Does Luxury Living Look Like in America’s Wealthiest Towns?

Where do the wealthiest Americans live? It may be tempting to say New York City or Beverly Hills, but alas, America is way too vast and diverse for that oversimplification. Using Bloomberg’s annual Richest Places annual index, which compiles a list of the cities and towns with the biggest average incomes, we hand-selected ten affluent towns from the list and linked them up with current Coldwell Banker real estate listings in these enviable locations. What does luxury living look like in some of America’s wealthiest neighborhoods? You’re about to find out!

1. Atherton, CA.

Median Household Income: $525,324

For the fourth straight year, Atherton topped the 2020 list. Situated between San Jose and San Francisco in what everyone knows is “Silicon Valley,” Atherton has an average household income of more than $525,000 and is reportedly home to tech billionaires including Google’s Eric Schmidt and Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg. This year, the quiet tree-lined community became the first and so far only enclave to top the half-million dollar mark since Bloomberg started compiling the index in 2017.

291 Ave | Atherton, CA. | $16,800,000 | Listed by Dipali Shah, Coldwell Banker Realty in Menlo Park

Located in tony Westchester County, Scarsdale is the East Coast’s wealthiest town and has consistently found a place on Bloomberg’s list with the median household income just over $450,000. The village’s proximity to New York City (only about 35 minutes north of the city) and small-town feel, thanks to a population of just 18,000 people, has made it a favorite suburb for those who are looking for privacy and more room to roam.

Atherton’s other affluent Silicon Valley neighbor, Hillsborough, has also consistently kept pace with the high-tech corridor. With a median household income of over $430,000, Hillsborough offers a rural atmosphere characterized by private homes and mansions set on large, spacious lots yet still close to restaurants, coffee shops, and parks.

4. Highland Park, TX.

Median Household Income: $365,025

4624 W Beverly DR |Highland Park, TX | $ 939,900 | Listed by Shannon and Lester Haury Home Team Coldwell Banker Apex Realtors

Highland Park is the Lonestar State’s most affluent town. It’s easy to see why. For starters, the central Dallas County is located only four miles north of downtown, two miles from Love Field Airport and about 30 minutes from DFW International Airport. With a median household income of over $350,000, it is home to some of the highest-dollar residential real estates in the country, great public schools, high-class boutiques and the Dallas Country Club.

Despite its location in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Rumson is thought to be part of the New York Metropolitan Area, given its easy commute to Manhattan. The historic waterfront town occupies a picturesque peninsula overlooking the ocean. Once considered a resort town for elite New Yorkers who once summered there, it still enjoys a reputation as a playground for the wealthy to this day. Reputable schools, beautiful gardens and parks, village-like commercial districts and nearby boating marinas are just some of the reasons why the wealthiest families continue to flock here.

Paradise Valley is a small, affluent town comprising 16 square miles Maricopa County that borders the cities of Phoenix and Scottsdale. Long considered a snowbird haven and retiree’s paradise (due to its low tax base), the town is known for its posh shopping, restaurants, golfing and resorts, such as the forthcoming 215-room Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley resort in the $2 billion new luxury development, The Palmeraie. About one-sixth of its 14,000 residents are retirement age; current residents include billionaire Campbell Soup heir Bennett Dorrance, 67, and ex-U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle, 66, according to Forbes.

10. Old Greenwich, CT.

Median Household Income: $321,377

14 Lockwood Avenue | Old Greenwich, CT. | $ 3,350,000 | Dorothy Salisbury of Coldwell Banker Realty in Greenwich

Mansion Global called Old Greenwich “the grande dame of Connecticut’s tony town of Greenwich” and that’s an apt description of this historic enclave located about an hour’s ride from midtown Manhattan and only five minutes from Stamford. Established in 1640 when the founding families bought the land from Native Americans for 25 coats, Old Greenwich is steeped in history — which gives it a unique charm. Old world vibes, a beachy waterfront setting, historic homes and the lowest property tax rate in the New York metro area (according to local real estate agents) have been among the reasons why Old Greenwich continues to attract the well-heeled to its shores and why it has consistently held a ranking on Bloomberg’s annual report.

 

 

 

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What Does Luxury Living Look Like in America’s Wealthiest Towns?

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