California’s richest suburb has an average income of more than $360,000, new study says

Palos Verdes Estates is the wealthiest suburb of California, according to a new analysis by personal finance site GOBankingRates.

GOBankingRates used 2023 U.S. Census data to rank the wealthiest suburb in each of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, analyzing household mean income, one-year income growth, average home value as of June 2025, and its year-over-year change.

Here’s what else to know about Palos Verdes Estates and the other richest suburbs in the country and California :

What to know about Palos Verdes Estates, California’s wealthiest suburb

On the Palos Verdes Peninsula just south of Los Angeles., Palos Verdes Estates, with a population of around 12,000, has a household mean income of $367,178, marking a 3.96% increase from the previous year, one of the highest jumps in California. As of June 2025, the average home value is $2,777,130, with a slight -0.16% dip over the past year.

The GOBankingRates study ranked Palos Verdes Estates as the second-wealthiest suburb in the nation and first in California.

Where are the other rich suburbs in California?

According to the 2025 GOBankingRates study, California has the wealthiest suburbs in the United States, with 17 suburbs among the top 50 nationwide.

The study used several other data points to determine the rank of the wealthiest suburbs, not just average household income. With that in mind, here’s a list of California’s wealthiest suburbs broken out by median household income.

• Los Altos (San Jose metro) – $403,512

• Alamo (Oakland metro) – $403,334

• Orinda (Oakland metro) – $369,073

• Palos Verdes Estates (Los Angeles metro) – $367,178

• Saratoga (San Jose metro) – $344,319

• Menlo Park (San Jose metro) – $339,415

• San Carlos (San Francisco metro) – $335,300

• Lafayette (Oakland metro) – $319,744

• Los Gatos (San Jose metro) – $317,745

• La Cañada Flintridge (Los Angeles metro) – $316,810

• Coto de Caza (Irvine metro) – $312,324

• Mill Valley (San Francisco metro) – $309,000+ (approx.)

• Palo Alto (San Jose metro) – $301,226

• Villa Park (Orange County metro) – $298,000+ (approx.)

• Fair Oaks (Sacramento metro) – $290,000+ (approx.)

• Woodbridge (Stockton metro) – $285,000+ (approx.)

• Rolling Hills (Los Angeles metro) – $280,000+ (approx.)

What are the 10 richest suburbs in the US?

In a separate July 2025 study, GOBankingRates ranked the overall richest suburbs in the country. All but two of them were in New York, Texas, or California.

Here are the top 10:

1. Scarsdale, New York: suburb of New York City, household mean income of $601,193 in 2023

2. Rye, New York: suburb of New York City, household mean income of $421,259 in 2023

3. West University Place, Texas: suburb of Houston, household mean income of $409,677 in 2023

4. Los Altos, California: suburb of San Jose, household mean income of $403,512 in 2023

5. Alamo, California: suburb of Oakland, household mean income of $403,334 in 2023

6. University Park, Texas: suburb of Dallas, household mean income of $389,868 in 2023

7. Southlake, Texas: suburb of Forth Worth, household mean income of $382,520 in 2023

8. Hinsdale, Illinois: suburb of Chicago, household mean income of $376,366 in 2023

9. Orinda, California: suburb of Oakland, household mean income of $369,073 in 2023

10. Wellesley, Massachusetts: suburb of Boston, household mean income of $368,179 in 2023

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palos Verdes Estates Tops California Wealth List in 2025