The list included at the bottom of this post identifies those wealthier communities that are located close to the central business district of the metropolitan area they are located. These wealthy “nearburbs” demonstrate that local gentry of each metropolitan area don’t necessarily live on distant or large country estates well away from downtown. In fact, a significant number of the wealthiest communities in the country, based on per capita income, are located in relatively close proximity to downtown.
It should also be noted that a number of these wealthy “nearburbs” were once “streetcar suburbs” in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Those 23 communities identified with an asterisk were once a streetcar suburb (or was intended to be one when planned).
A minimum per capita income of $50,000 was required for inclusion on the list. The national average in 2019 dollars was $34,103. The nearburb must be adjacent to the core city (by land or water) and not more that 12 miles from the heart of downtown using the most direct route on Google Maps.
As always, any additions, corrections, or suggestions are most welcome. Here’s the list:
METRO/NEARBURB/PER CAPITA INCOME(2019)/DISTANCE TO METRO CBD
Albuquerque, NM – Los Ranchos de Albuquerque = $55,749 / 5.9 miles
Atlanta, GA – Druid Hills* = $88,419 / 4.7 miles
Atlanta, GA – North Druid Hills = $51,996 / 7.9 miles
Austin, TX – Rollingwood = $98,053 / 4.7 miles
Austin, TX – West Lake Hills = $110,495 / 5.3 miles
Birmingham, AL – Mountain Brook = $85,694 / 4.9 miles
Boston, MA – Brookline* = $71,536 / 5.2 miles
Cleveland, OH – Shaker Heights* = $58,970 / 9.0 miles
Columbus, OH – Bexley* = $54,038 / 3.1 miles
Dallas, TX – Highland Park* = $149,069 / 4.7 miles
Dallas, TX – University Park = $99.649 / 6.5 miles
Dayton, OH – Oakwood* = $59,994 / 3.3 miles
Denver, CO – Cherry Hills Village = $141,009 / 8.3 miles
Des Moines, IA – Clive = $50,427 / 9.3 miles
Detroit, MI – Grosse Pointe* = $71,507 / 8.6 miles
Detroit, MI – Grosse Pointe Farms* = $69,590 / 10.9 miles
Detroit, MI – Grosse Pointe Park* = $64,817 / 6.9 miles
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Lauderdale-by-the-Sea = $75,239 / 7.0 miles – Added on 11/5/21
Fort Worth, TX – Westover Hills = $179,188 / 5.6 miles
Grand Rapids, MI – East Grand Rapids* = $65,776 / 3.9 miles
Houston, TX – Bellaire* = $101,097 / 8.6 miles
Houston, TX – Hunters Creek Village = $146,204 / 10.1 miles
Houston, TX – West University Place = $125,712 / 6.6 miles
Indianapolis, IN – Meridian Hills = $102,459 / 8.7 miles
Indianapolis, IN – Williams Creek = $119,988 / 9.7 miles
Kansas City, MO – Mission Hills, KS = $150,496 / 6.0 miles
Kansas City, MO – Mission Woods, KS = $169,111 / 4.5 miles
Los Angeles, CA – Beverly Hills* = $85,460 / 9.9 miles
Louisville, KY – Mockingbird Valley = $138,129 / 4.8 miles
Louisville, KY – Strathmoor Village = $50,563 / 5.0 miles
Madison, WI – Maple Bluff = $104,323 / 4.3 miles
Madison, WI – Shorewood Hills = $91,194 / 3.1 miles
Miami, FL – Coral Gables* = $68,674 / 5.8 miles
Miami, FL – Key Biscayne = $83,607 / 8.4 miles
Miami, FL – Miami Beach = $53,223 / 5.9 miles
Milwaukee, WI – Shorewood* = $51,445 / 5.0 miles
Milwaukee, WI – Whitefish Bay* = $61,830 / 7.2 miles
Minneapolis, MN – Golden Valley* = $57,562 / 5.0 miles
Nashville, TN – Belle Meade = $165,932 / 7.5 miles
Nashville, TN – Forest Hills = $119,305 / 8.4 miles
Nashville, TN – Oak Hill = $100,895 / 6.5 miles
Oakland, CA – Piedmont* = $107,983 / 3.5 miles
Oklahoma City, OK – Nichols Hills = $134,586 / 7.8 miles
Orlando, FL – Winter Park* = $64,303 / 5.0 miles
Portland, OR – Lake Oswego = $68,452 / 7.2 miles – Added on 11/7/21 – Thanks, Dan!
Portland, OR – Raleigh Hills = $61,343 / 5.7 miles
Portland, OR – West Haven-Sylvan = $68,094 / 6.2 miles
Portland, OR – West Slope = $51,287 / 6.3 miles
San Antonio, TX – Alamo Heights* = $93,141 / 4.6 miles
San Antonio, TX – Olmos Park* = $117,105 / 4.1 miles
San Antonio, TX – Terrell Hills* = $78,597 / 4.5 miles
San Diego, CA – Coronado = $61,479 / 6.0 miles
Seattle, WA – Medina = $128,408 / 8.9 miles
Seattle, WA – Mercer Island = $90,130 / 7.2 miles
Toledo, OH – Ottawa Hills = $80,372 / 5.9 miles
Washington, DC – Bethesda, MD* = $98,119 / 7.1 miles
Washington, DC – Chevy Chase, MD* = $104,133 / 7.0 miles
West Palm Beach, FL – Palm Beach = $191,114 / 1.4 miles – Added on 11/5/21
Wichita, KS – Eastborough = $87,373 / 4.0 miles
_______
*Once was a streetcar suburb or was planned to be one when established.
SOURCES:
- https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/
- https://www.city-data.com/city/
- maps.google.com
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetcar_suburb
- https://www.eastgr.org/96/History
- https://wrightlibrary.org/content/far-hills-speaker-series-0
- https://www.expressnews.com/sa300/article/San-Antonio-s-55-year-streetcar-ride-12169703.php
- https://classic.txtransportationmuseum.org/history-streetcars.php
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Park_Company
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Line
- https://www.bellairetx.gov/592/Trolley
- https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/atlantasuburbs/atlanta-suburbs-then-and-now/druid-hills/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetcars_in_Washington,_D.C.,_and_Maryland#/media/File:DC_streetcar_diagram.JPG
problogic
Panethos 
Add Lake Oswego OR to the Portland area nearburbs. Bus route from downtown is 8 miles; the median income is about $53K. And that median income seems kind of low to me. There are sections of Lake Oswego, especially around the lake, with much higher (as in 2 or 3 orders of magnitide higher) median incomes.
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Looks like I made a error in my post above. I found the median income, but the blog is about average per capita income. For Lake Oswego, that’s over $68K. It definitely belongs on the list.
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I’ve added it. Only needed to double check that it was directly adjacent to Portland and not separated by another burb.
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Stop by our place in East Grand Rapids the next time you’re in town! Street car used to run a about 200 feet from our house (before my time). Bus route at end of our street will take you to downtown GR in about five minutes.
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