The Richest Town in America is Home to the World’s Most Famous Female Tech Billionaire (2024)

Average Household Income: $525,324

The median home value in this San Matteo County, California, town is a staggering $7,795,239, according to Zillow. Although Atherton, which sits between San Jose and San Francisco, is best known for its tech billionaire residents such as Sheryl Sandberg, Eric Schmidt, and Meg Whitman, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, a slew of other notable residents have also called the Silicon Valley town home, including actress Shirley Temple, investment firm CEO Charles Schwab, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays and Ty Cobb, and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham.

Average Household Income: $452,041

This Westchester County suburb of New York City is the richest town on the East coast. Notable figures who have called Scarsdale home include actress Judy Garland, actress Susan Lucci, director and actor Rob Reiner, NPR legal correspondent Nina Totenberg, and former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara.

Average Household Income: $430,681

Just 17 miles south of San Francisco in California’s San Mateo County, Hillsborough is home to several significant mansions in American architectural history, including: Carolands, built by Harriet Pullman Carolan, the Pullman railway heiress; the Western White House, built by George Randolph Hearst, son of William Randolph Hearst, and designed by Julia Morgan, of Hearst Castle fame; and the Sidney Bazett Residence, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and lived in by Joseph Eichler for a time.

Average Household Income: $430,681

Located less than eight miles outside of Denver, this Arapahoe County, Colorado, town is home to two former NFL quarterbacks: John Elway and Peyton Manning. The median home value in Cherry Hills Village is just shy of $2,612,468, according to Zillow.

Average Household Income: $405,073

This Santa Clara County, California, town has maintained a rural character that evokes its agricultural past in spite of its recent infusion of Silicon Valley money. Notable figures who have called Los Altos Hills home include former Major League Baseball player Barry Bonds and tech entrepreneur Steve Kirsch.

Average Household Income: $388,760

The median home value in this New York City suburb is just under $1,750,000, according to Zillow. Phillip Roth’s first book, Goodbye, Columbus, was largely set in Short Hills. Some notable Americans who have called the Essex County, New Jersey, town home include actress Anne Hathaway and fashion designer Rachel Zoe.

Average Household Income: $365,025

This Dallas suburb is home to the America’s first self-contained shopping center: Highland Park Village, which opened in 1931, was designed by architects Marion Fresenius Fooshee and James B. Cheek in a Spanish Revival style and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Highland Park is also famous for serving as a filming location for the 1980s hit television show Dallas.

Average Household Income: $358,543

This North Shore Chicago suburb in Illinois’ Cook County is home to the Chicago Botanic Garden, a 385-acre living plant museum with 27 gardens, 4 natural areas, and six miles of lake shoreline. Scenes from two classic 1980s John Hughes’ films—Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Sixteen Candles—were shot in Glencoe.

Average Household Income: $353,700

This Cook County, Illinois, town is perhaps best known as the setting for director John Hughes’ Home Alone. Several well-known actors, such as Charlton Heston, Rock Hudson, Virginia Madsen, and Chris O’Donnell, have called the Chicago suburb home. Many renowned architects have also designed homes and churches in Winnetka, including George Washington Maher, Howard Van Doren Shaw, Solon S. Beman, and David Adler.

Average Household Income: $352,839

This Fairfax County, Connecticut, town is just 37 miles from New York City, but its wealthy residents likely consider it a world away, thanks to its 11 parks, 2 public beaches, and several private clubs focused on activities like golf and yachting. The median home value in Darien is $1,637,673, according to Zillow.

Average Household Income: $352,418

Just seven miles from Houston, this Harris County, Texas, town was developed in 1917 and is named for its close proximity to Rice University. Many of the streets are named after authors, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, John Dryden, and William Shakespeare. Notable residents who have called West University Place home include Craig Biggio, a former baseball player for the Houston Astros, and NFL player Brian Cushing.

Average Household Income: $337,696

Located in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Rumson boasts a population of just over 7,000 (as of 2020). The New York suburb has been home to several American celebrities, including Bruce Springsteen.

Average Household Income: $330,421

This southern Westchester County, New York, town is just 15 miles from Midtown Manhattan, which means its residents have easy access to the city and all the trappings of wealthy small-town life—charming residential architecture, a walkable town center, and great public schools. President John F. Kennedy lived with his family for a few years in Bronxville; other notable residents include Elizabeth Custer, the widow of General George Armstrong Custer, and television host Ed McMahon.

Average Household Income: $328,353

This Phoenix suburb is the hometown of several celebrities, including Emma Stone, and is best known for its luxury resorts, such as the Camelback Inn, and golf courses.

Average Household Income: $324,835

This Westchester County, New York, town was first developed in the 18th century. Its oldest home, “the Manor House,” was built in 1797 by Peter Jay Munro, who was nephew of John Jay, the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, the median home value in this New York City suburb is over $1.4 million, according to Zillow.

Average Household Income: $321,377

This Fairfield County, Connecticut, town lives up to its name: It was founded in 1641. The Old Greenwich Station, a commuter rail station that delivers residents to nearby New York City, was built in 1872 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The tony town sits on Long Island Sound and was known as Sound Beach in the 19th century. Today, its largest beach, Tod’s Point, is public property.

Average Household Income: $318,319

Less than 15 miles outside of Cincinnati, this Hamilton County, Ohio, town was developed in the early 20th-century by a handful of wealthy businessmen who already owned property there. Now, the median home value in the once entirely agricultural Village of Indian Hill is just over $1.3 million, according to Zillow.

Average Household Income: $314,090

Best known for being home to Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club, Palm Beach is a beautiful beach town situated on the southeastern tip of Florida. The typical home value in Palm Beach is just shy of $1.7 million, according to Zillow.

Average Household Income: $313,255

This Dallas suburb is home to Southern Methodist University, which was founded in 1915, and the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Its population is just over 25,000 (as of 2020).

Average Household Income: $311,915

Located in Virginia’s Fairfax County, Great Falls is less than 20 miles outside of Washington, DC. The northern Virginia town might as well be a world away, however, thanks to its location on the banks of the Potomac River. Notable residents have included former AOL CEO Steve Case and Redskins owner Dan Snyder. The typical home value in the wealthy DC suburb is just under $1.4 million, according to Zillow.