Here Are The Most Obnoxiously Rich Suburbs Of America's Biggest Cities

Atlanta: Brookhaven, Georgia

According to the 2015 U.S. World Wealth Report, America's wealthiest citizens live in major metropolitan areas—no huge surprise there. After all, if you could afford to live anywhere, you might as well live in a major city, right? Well, not so fast.

While the richest people in America live near major cities, they don't always live in those cities. Real estate firm Engel & Völkers set out to compile a list of the wealthiest suburbs of each major U.S. city, and some of their findings were fairly surprising.
For instance...

Population: 51,029
Average Household Income: $121,989
Founded in 1810 by plantation owner John Evins, Brookhaven is home to many of the Atlanta metropolitan area's richest residents.

Austin: West Lake Hills, Texas

It's also a great place for golf; Bobby Jones helped develop Peachtree Golf Club in 1940, one of the country's best courses.

Population: 3,063
Average Household Income: $232,913
Sure, Austin is a hipster paradise, but West Lake Hills is pretty nice, too. It's the hometown of football superstar Drew Brees, and the city has some of the best public schools in the nation. We should note that Austin's Curbed took issue with West Lake Hills' place on this list.

Baltimore: Clarksville, Maryland

"Like many small towns that became suburbs, even rich suburbs, West Lake still has a fair number of modest homes and longtime residents," wrote Cindy Widner. "Due to its now-convenient location, it’s also home to some not particularly luxurious apartments, condos, and townhouses and a healthy number of renters."

Population: 11,236
Average Household Income: $186,796
Clarksville lies in Howard County, which is the second-wealthiest country in the United States, according to the U.S Census Bureau.

Boston: Wellesley, Massachusetts

Its public schools are among the highest-ranked in the nation, which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise (highly ranked schools are something of a constant on this list).

Population: 27,982
Average Household Income: $214,837
Located in Norfolk County, Wellesley has America's highest percentage of adults who hold at least one college degree. It's also a leader in sustainable energy, with numerous programs to encourage responsible energy practices among its citizenry.

Charlotte: Ballantyne, North Carolina

Hey, at least they're putting all of that wealth toward something positive, right?

Population: 20,936
Average Household Income: $119,580
In 2012, residents met to try and break away from the city of Charlotte and form their own city, Providence.

Chicago: Kenilworth, Illinois

They're still in negotiations, so Providence is on hold for the time being.

Population: 2,513
Average Household Income: $247,187
In January 2011, Forbes.com named Kenilworth the second-most affluent neighborhood in the United States and the "most exclusive" neighborhood in the Midwest. The average house sells for just over $1 million.

Cincinnati: The Village of Indian Hill, Ohio

Of course, the wealthiest homes in the area are still in Chicago proper; a full-floor residence at the famed Waldorf Astoria sold for $11.7 million in July 2016.

Population: 5,785
Average Household Income: $209,250
Astronaut Neil Armstrong lived in the Village of Indian Hill for many years prior to his death in 2012. However, it's not an extraordinarily large town, as it has a total area of "nearly 20 square miles," per its website.

Cleveland: Hunting Valley, Ohio

"The families who live in the Village value its rural atmosphere, its reputation for safety, its strong sense of history and community, its firm administration of zoning ordinances, and its proximity to the cultural life of a large city," the Village of Indian Hill's website reads.

Population: 750
Average Household Income: $200,000
The 20th president of the United States, James Garfield, was born in this area in 1931. The town is actually less wealthy than some other nearby suburbs by some metrics, as writer Sam Allard notes for Cleveland's Scene.

Columbus: New Albany, Ohio

Allard writes that he's "at once sort of envious and repulsed by exorbitant wealth, but the homes really are magnificent down there."

Population: 7,724
Average Household Income: $179,405
Jack Nicklaus designed a golf course here, and while it's a fairly small community, New Albany has its own symphony.

Dallas/Fort Worth: Frisco, Texas

There are also over 600 acres of public parks and green spaces, per Business Insider, along with various walking trails and equestrian areas.

Population: 156,320
Average Household Income: $112,155
Voted as one of the state's "best places to raise a family," Frisco's growing rapidly. The town's population grew by 247 percent from 2000 to 2009, and its income growth was 10 percent above the state’s average rate as of 2009. Frisco is on the rise, and has been almost the whole time since its founding.

Denver: Cherry Hills, Colorado

The town grew gradually due to traffic from cattle drives through Austin, wagon trains along the old Shawnee Trail, and the San Francisco Railway starting in the 1800s. After a few name changes and a relocation, Frisco was officially incorporated in 1908.

Population: 5,987
Average Household Income: $232,000
You know that a Denver suburb has a few famous football residents, right?
When Peyton Manning played for the Denver Broncos, he lived in Cherry Hills in a $4.6 million house. It was over 16,000 square feet with seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.

Houston: The Woodlands, Texas

Indianapolis: Carmel, Indiana

In 1964, George Mitchell of the Mitchell Energy and Development Corporation began designing the HUD-financed community, including plans for conference centers, hotels, office parks, retail malls, schools, large distribution centers, and golf courses. At the time, this might have seemed somewhat fanciful; the HUD program had a fairly low success rate. The Woodlands, however, was a success and gradually attracted major corporations including Chevron Phillips, ExxonMobil, and Halliburton.

Population: 85,927
Average Household Income: $107,916
In 2012, Carmel was named "the best place to live in the United States" by CNN Money magazine. Quakers settled this city in 1837, and the town was originally named Bethlehem prior to a renaming in 1874.

Kansas City: Overland Park, Kansas

Carmel is home to one of the world's first automatic traffic lights, which is still on display in the city's old train station.

Population: 85,927
Average Household Income: $107,916
In 2012, Carmel was named "the best place to live in the United States" by CNN Money magazine.
Quakers settled this city in 1837, and the town was originally named Bethlehem prior to a renaming in 1874. Carmel is home to one of the world's first automatic traffic lights, which is still on display in the city's old train station.

Las Vegas: Summerlin, Nevada

Those amenities might be why Overland Park has remained so successful; in 2014, HousingWire named the city one of the 10 "absolute best housing markets for families." Actor Jason Sudeikis was born here, by the way—he's also a big Kansas City Chiefs fan.

Population: 102,311
Average Household Income: $136,508
Las Vegas is, of course, America's gambling capital, but a number of celebrities and athletes have lived in Summerlin, including Dana White, Nicolas Cage, David Copperfield, Andre Agassi, and Brandon Marshall, per the city's Wikipedia page.

Los Angeles: Beverly Hills, California

Summerlin is a planned community comprised of over 20,000 acres, nestled near the Spring Mountains and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Population: 35,176
Average Household Income: $193,000
No surprise here. The famous Los Angeles suburb is virtually synonymous with affluence—you know at least one of its zip codes—and some houses sell for upwards of $100 million.

Nashville: Belle Meade, Tennessee

The town also has no hospital, no cemetery, no billboards, and visible no telephone wires or power lines. Beverly Hills might be one of the most famous neighborhoods in the world, but behind all the glitz and glam, it's a fairly small, close-knit community with just over 35,000 residents.

Population: 3,112
Average Household Income: $211,000
The town was originally the grounds of a massive plantation built and owned by John Harding in 1820. In addition to a farm, the plantation had a blacksmith shop, gin mill, grist mill, saw mill, and a cotton gin. In 1893, a weakened economy forced the Harding family into serious debt, and by 1906, they'd sold all 2,600 acres.

New York City (by way of Connecticut): Darien, Connecticut

The current Belle Meade community is located on this acreage, and has one of the highest incomes per capita in the country. Tourists can still check out the Belle Meade mansion, which features 19th-century artifacts from the plantation.

Population: 21,732
Average Household Income: $199,444
Darien was listed by CNN as one of the top earning towns of 2010. It's been home to a number of notable celebrities including Christopher Plummer, Kate Bosworth, Topher Grace, Moby, Chloe Sevigny, and Gus Van Sant. Movoto named Darien as the town in Connecticut with the highest rent and second-highest home value.

New York City (by way of New Jersey): Summit, New Jersey

If you're lucky enough to live here, you can enjoy a trip to the nearby Norwalk Maritime Aquarium or walk through the spacious Cove Island and Cummings parks. Feel free to walk, by the way; Darien has an excellent crime rate of only 751 crimes per 100,000 people.

Population: 21,457
Average Household Income: $121,291
Summit experienced a huge boom after World War II when many of New York City’s residents began moving out of the city. With gorgeous tree-lined streets, great schools, and an active downtown area, Summit quickly became a desirable destination for commuters. These days, Summit is well known for its gorgeous architecture.

New York: Roslyn (Long Island)

One of its most famous landmarks is the Carter House, the oldest building in town and the site of the city's historical museum.
And if you're not into architecture, you'll surely love Summit's shopping (via the busy Springfield Avenue) and, of course, its close proximity to New York. The New York Times even wrote a glowing piece about Summit, describing it as "a place to grow into and stay."

Population: 2,800
Average Household Income: $122,321
If you’re looking for a quiet and quaint (but incredibly expensive) place to live, Roslyn is for you. Founded in 1633, the town is serious about maintaining and preserving its many historic landmarks. Along Main Street, East Broadway and Old Northern Boulevard, Roslyn has more than 100 historic sites.

Orlando: Celebration, Florida

There's also an art museum in the nearby Roslyn Harbor. Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park and creator of the television show ER, lived in Roslyn, per the city's Wikipedia page. Other notable residents include baseball player Darryl Strawberry and investment scammer Bernie Madoff.

Population: 8,192
Average Household Income: $120,369
Master-planned by The Walt Disney Company, Celebration is modeled after the entrance of the nearby Walt Disney World Resort. It was intended as an expansion of Walt’s dream of EPCOT—the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. It's literally designed to be a "town of the future," and while it was something of a victim of its lofty marketing, it's still an amazing place to live.

Philadelphia: The Main Line, Pennsylvania

Created in 1994, Celebration was supposed to be a Disney-inspired utopia, capable of accommodating residents’ needs all within its 11-square-mile radius. It features a walkable downtown area, decent schools, and "friendly streets that encourage neighborly interaction," per Brandy Davis of Impact Press. We cannot confirm that residents have talking animal friends, and we're not sure whether they regularly break out in song, but if you're into the Disney lifestyle, this is probably your place.

Population: 100,000
Average Household Income: $150,000
The Main Line is a great place to live, and it also wins our "coolest name on this list" award. That name, by the way, refers to how the suburbs follow the path of the "Main Line" of the Pennsylvania railroad; over the last two centuries, it's been home to some of the richest families on the East Coast. The Main Line encompasses a number of communities, including Overbrook, Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Narbeth, and Wynnewood, among others.

Phoenix: Paradise Valley, Arizona

While there are plenty of reasons to stake out a home here, the schools are especially notable. Private schools like the Haverford School for Boys and Merion Mercy Academy are among the best in the country.

Population: 12,820
Average Household Income: $86,723
An extraordinarily affluent suburb of Phoenix, Paradise Valley is known for its ritzy resorts. Paradise Valley, the most expensive suburb of Phoenix, is filled with shopping centers, golf courses, and lavish resorts.

Pittsburgh: Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania

This town started as an agrarian community, but since the end of World War II, it has only gotten more refined (and more expensive). As the town's website points out, it's the "winner of the voice of the people award for excellence in foundations of livability." That award, coincidentally, wins our award for "most dubiously long award name."

Population: 5,388
Average Household Income: $185,000
This borough in Allegheny County was home to the Seneca Indian Tribe and other American Indians until the 18th century. Entrepreneur James O'Hara purchased much of the property in the early 19th century, then sold it to James Ross, who built a massive estate called The Meadows at the intersection of Freeport and Fox Chapel.

Portland: Lake Oswego, Oregon

Today, the tiny community is 100 percent residential, with gorgeous walking trails and exclusive private clubs. As the borough's website points out, "Fox Chapel is a classic example of what can be done to preserve a rural atmosphere that includes tree protection and steep slope preservation in the very midst of urbanization."

Population: 38,496
Average Household Income: $127,292
In 1847 Albert Alonzo Durham founded the town of Oswego and built its very first saw mill. The town sat on top of iron ore deposits, but it wasn’t until 1861 that people began mining for it full time. The Oregon Iron Company was founded, and helped usher in a huge industrial era for the community.

Sacramento: Roseville, California

In the early 1900s, the expansion of the railroad helped bring new people to the area, and Oswego grew fast. It’s now known as one of the best places to live in Oregon.

Population: 128,382
Average Household Income: $78,181
Roseville was originally a stagecoach station, but with the help of the Central Pacific Railroad, it became a fully incorporated city in 1909. The city enjoyed a population boom during the 1950s following the completion of a railroad underpass, which allowed people to maneuver across town and tracks more easily.

San Antonio: The Dominion, Texas

Today, the town is known as a shopping destination thanks to several walkable retail areas, including the Fountains, a collection of 40 stores and nine restaurants.

Population: 3,000
Average Household Income: $180,000
Okay, we're taking our award back from The Main Line. "The Dominion" is absolutely the coolest suburb name on this list.

San Jose: Los Altos, California

The Dominion is home to a premier country club, and according to the master-planned community's Wikipedia page, it's also home to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. The mansions in the Dominion are certainly stone-cold stunners; unless you've got about $500,000 sitting around, you're probably not living here.

Population: 29,000
Average Household Income: $157,500
In 1906, Paul Shoup, a Southern Pacific Railroad executive, wanted to plan a new stop along the railroad between Mayfield and Los Gatos. Shoup purchased 140 acres of land in 1906, creating Los Altos.

San Diego: Rancho Santa Fe, California

The city had a population boom after World War II, and it gradually became a relatively affluent community. Forbes named it one of its "25 top places to retire rich," noting its great scenery and one-acre minimum lot sizes.

Population: 3,000
Average Household Income: $203,000
If you're rich enough to live here, you'll have some notable neighbors, including Microsoft entrepreneur Bill Gates. In fact, Gates is often seen walking around town. The bad news: Rancho Santa Fe maintains a set of rules called the Protective Covenant, intended to preserve residents' exclusive lifestyle, so your home will need to meet exceptionally strict standards.

San Francisco: Atherton, California

There's also no home mail delivery—those mail trucks would look absolutely horrific rolling down the streets—and you won't find any sidewalks or streetlights. On the plus side, it's an incredibly safe community, and some residents reportedly leave their keys in their unlocked cars at night.

Population: 7,283
Average Household Income: $283,000
The average house price in Atherton is over $2 million, and mansions in the suburb regularly go for more than $10 million. If you land a home here, you'll live near Sheryl Sandberg, Google's Eric Schmidt, and other high-tech celebrities. Why do people live here?

Seattle: Medina, Washington

Well, it's a short drive from Silicon Valley, and nobody likes a long commute. Most homes sell for cash, and Chinese investors quickly snap up available properties, so good luck landing an Atherton home.

Population: 3,000
Average Household Income: $149,000
Medina started off as a community of berry farms and orchards in the 1880s. Thomas Dabney was the town's first permanent resident, and he built the first ferry dock, which eventually attracted wealthy Seattleites to Medina.

St. Louis: Town and Country, Missouri

Today, it has the second-highest income per capita in Washington and the 49th in all of the United States. Residents enjoy gorgeous Lake Washington waterfront, nicknamed "Medina's Gold Coast," along with one of the best-ranked school districts in the country.

Population: 10,828
Average Household Income: $176,393
Originally established in 1950 as a village filled with large, land-limited residential plots, Town and Country became an official city in 1975. It's a bit more scenic than some of St.

Louis County's more commercialized areas, and it boasts the highest median household income of any city in Missouri. If you drive through, you can marvel at some beautiful properties, but just watch out for the white-tail deer.