Top 100 California Communities Ranked By Median Family Income (San Diego, Fremont: homes, high income)

[18Montclair]

According to the US Census Bureau American Factfinder Community Survey

Top 100(Cities, Towns, Census Designated Places) Ranked by Median Family Income, 2005-2009
1. Hidden Hills $250,000
2. Los Altos Hills $234,519
3. Rolling Hills $231,125
4. Woodside $225,000
5. Stinson Beach $223,594
6. Atherton $219,922
7. Hillsborough $214,583
8. Portola Valley $206,250
9. Palos Verdes Estates $204,904
10. Tiburon $204,032
11. Rancho Santa Fe $202,961
12. Monte Sereno $198,523
13. Dillon Beach $195,054
14. Piedmont $191,739
15. West Menlo Park $186,813
16. Los Altos $186,100
17. Del Rio $185,750
18. Blackhawk Camino Tassajara $182,127
19. San Marino $174,806
20. Orinda $179,794
21. Loyola $174,750
22. Ross $174,609
23. Villa Park $172,273
24. Belvedere $170,042
25. Rolling Hills Estates $169,257
26. Coto de Caza $169,116
27. Manhattan Beach $168,153
28. La Canada Flintridge $167,260
29. Alamo $166,528
30. Saratoga $166,494
31. Mill Valley $163,360
32. Kentfield $162,383
33. Emerald Lake Hills $161,979
34. Indian Wells $161,736
35. Tamalpais-Homestead Valley $161,389
36. Highlands Baywood Park $161,004
37. Moraga $160,707
38. Palo Alto $160,006
39. La Habra Heights $156,341
40. Bradbury $155,972
41. Los Gatos $155,862
42. Lexington Hills $155,036
43. Diablo $153,750
44. Kensington $153,224
45. Newport Beach $152,852
46. Del Mar $151,141
47. Lafayette $149,940
48. Menlo Park $149,095
49. Malibu $148,185
50. Tomales $147,614
51. Westlake Village $147,109
52. Danville $146,669
53. Sausalito $146,417
54. Montecito $145,230
55. Laguna Beach $143,182
56. Montara $141,197
57. Fairbanks Ranch $141,165
58. Clayton $138,403
59. San Carlos $137,800
60. North Woodbridge $137,000
61. El Granada $136,500
62. Deer Park $135,481
63. Cupertino $135,422
64. Hermosa Beach $135,417
65. San Ramon $132,339
66. Calabasas $132,023
67. Agoura Hills $131,635
68. Las Flores $131,020
69. Stanford $130,644
70. Mission Canyon $129,821
71. Strawberry $129,612
72. Pleasanton $129,554
73. Lucas valley-Marinwood $129,191
74. Granite Bay $129,200
75. El Dorado Hills $127,887
76. Rancho Palos Verdes $127,392
77. Yorba Linda $126,746
78. Toro Canyon $126,597
79. Foster City $125,414
80. Larkspur $125,278
81. Belmont $124,313
82. Black Point-Green Point $124,625
83. North Tustin $123,896
84. Sierra Madre $123,056
85. Rossmoor $120,750
86. Rancho Murrieta $120,417
87. Corte Madera $120,370
88. East Oakdale $120,236
89. Aromas $119,228
90. Dublin $119,030
91. Oak Park $118,690
92. Moss Beach $118,580
93. Green Valley $118,750
94. Marina Del Rey $116,607
95. Del Monte Forest $116,310
96. Gold River $115,262
97. Rosedale $113,984
98. View Park-Windsor Hills $13,983
99. Broadmoor $113,375
100. Foresthill $112,946

Remaining cities $100,000+
101. Laguna Niguel $112,610
102. San Anselmo $112,600
103. Rancho Santa Margarita $112,308
104. Beverly Hills $112,271
105. Walnut Creek $112,176
106. Redondo Beach $112,139
107. Coronado $111,426
108. Solana Beach $110,987
109. Pleasant Hill $110,952
110. Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley $110,865
111. Rio Del Mar $110,833
112. Folsom $110,429
113. Scotts Valley $110,250
114. Thousand Oaks $109,960
115. Ladera Heights $109,621
116. Livermore $109,391
117. San Diego Country Estates $109,293
118. Morgan Hill $109,180
119. Irvine $109,138
120. Encinitas $109,123
121. Fairfax $108,681
122. Woodcrest $108,571
123. $108,259
124. $108,125
125. Half Moon Bay $107,995
126. San Geronimo $107,857
127. Wilton $107,193
128. Brisbane $107,167
129. Chino Hills $107,019
130. Discovery Bay $106,631
131. Day Valley $106,302
132. Mountain View $106,182
133. Fremont $106,106
134. Fellows $106,083
135. Santa Ynez $105,770
136. Carlsbad $105,655
137. Pacifica $105,447
138. Granite Hills $105,320
139. Lake Forest $104,956
140. Bodega Bay $104,792
141. Forest Meadows $104,700
142. Walnut $104,664
143. Keene $104,545
144. Poway $104,429
145. San Clemente $104,123
146. Ben Lomond $103,768
147. Bear Valley Springs $103,644
148. Claremont $103,579
149. Sonoma $103,490
150. Burlingame $103,440
151. Benicia $103,365
152. Santa Monica $103,308
153. Aliso Viejo $103,190
154. Crockett $103,107
155. Felton $103,026
156. Cambrian Park $102,650
157. South Pasadena $102,412
158. Moorpark $102,309
159. El Segundo $102,298
160. Sunnyvale $102,234
161. Carmel Valley Village $102,206
162. San Mateo $101,885
163. Jamul $101,094
164. Laguna Hills $100,924
165. Canyon Lake $100,839
166. Muir Beach $100,817
167. Dana Point $100,813
168. Mi-Wuk Village $100,270
169. Sunnyside-Tahoe City $100,265
170. Rancho San Diego $100,189

[hsw]

IIRC, no need to indicate one's income on any census

IRS tax return data is more reliable about claimed income than any dubious census data

And many/?most >>$500K/yr income tax returns are filed under address of one's accountant/office, thus the specific residential locale of the taxpayer is often camouflaged by even IRS data

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by hsw

IIRC, no need to indicate one's income on any census

IRS tax return data is more reliable about claimed income than any dubious census data

And many/?most >>$500K/yr income tax returns are filed under address of one's accountant/office, thus the specific residential locale of the taxpayer is often camouflaged by even IRS data

Particularly for the cities in the Top 20, Ive seen other estimates that put their average household income at about twice the amounts in this thread, but I can't seem to find one source that has data for every single city except the Census Bureau.

OnBoard LLC is my favorite source, but they don't do every city.

[hsw]

Appreciate your attempt to document the income data...

However, it's fairly difficult to statistically appreciate importance of a few concentrated places like Woodside/Atherton/BH area

Median means very little in towns like Woodside or Atherton that have less than 10K people, and top <10% have enormous cap gains (not really W-2) income that occurs in lumpy fashion (and literally can change the entire budget of state of CA)

As Bloomie in NYC often points out, a few 100 guys in either Manhattan or Woodside/Atherton can materially change tax revenue and budget balance of major states like NY or CA; many allegedly "affluent" folks in towns like Scarsdale or Los Gatos, etc don't move needle (in terms of incomes or taxes paid) as much as a few titans in places where biggest boys in SV or NYC or BH reside, just a handful of blks in Woodside or UES or BH area

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by hsw

Appreciate your attempt to document the income data...

However, it's fairly difficult to statistically appreciate importance of a few concentrated places like Woodside/Atherton/BH area

Median means very little in towns like Woodside or Atherton that have less than 10K people, and top <10% have enormous cap gains (not really W-2) income that occurs in lumpy fashion (and literally can change the entire budget of state of CA)

As Bloomie in NYC often points out, a few 100 guys in either Manhattan or Woodside/Atherton can materially change tax revenue and budget balance of major states like NY or CA; many allegedly "affluent" folks in towns like Scarsdale or Los Gatos, etc don't move needle (in terms of incomes or taxes paid) as much as a few titans in places where biggest boys in SV or NYC or BH reside, just a handful of blks in Woodside or UES or BH area

Yes, but at the end of the day, every city has a median and every city has an average. This ranking is not about the number of uberwealthy folks but the median income of the entire city.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by hsw

IIRC, no need to indicate one's income on any census

IRS tax return data is more reliable about claimed income than any dubious census data

And many/?most >>$500K/yr income tax returns are filed under address of one's accountant/office, thus the specific residential locale of the taxpayer is often camouflaged by even IRS data

I am glad you explained that: There seem to be some cities not showing up that are known for high incomes and some that show incomes around $150,000 I would bet are twice that much. I have no faith in any of these studies or reports, never have, never will. They are good for bragging rights only.

Nita

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by nmnita

I am glad you explained that: There seem to be some cities not showing up that are known for high incomes and some that show incomes around $150,000 I would bet are twice that much.

Or maybe your perception and in fact the perception of most people is well, wrong.

[peninsular]

Interesting list, thanks for sharing.

I think there is a perception out there is that if your household income is close to a median in some town, it means you can afford to move there. That, in my opinion, is wrong.

I think there are several factors here, one of which was mentioned above.