You have to be either a trust fund baby, married to a Kardashian, super good at a sport, or a famous movie producer to live in our top ten richest cities in California for 2026.
You can stop searching if you’re looking for safe cities and neighborhoods, excellent schools, large green spaces, grand swimming pools, good food, and high-end shopping with a paycheck to match. We found the cities with the highest home prices and incomes in California.
Cities like Palos Verdes Estates and Pleasanton grace the Pacific Coast. And cities like San Ramon and Mill Valley are the playground to San Francisco.
$250,001 median income · 5.3% poverty · #6 income in California
Located in
San Mateo County, California
Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 7,159 as of 2013. Atherton is ranked to be the wealthiest city in the United States, and is regularly ranked among the most expensive zip codes in the country.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · 7.3% poverty · #6 income in California
Located in
Santa Clara County, California
Los Altos Hills is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The Los Altos Hills ZIP code 94022 appeared on the 2017 Forbes list of America’s most expensive ZIP codes; 94022 was ranked the 3rd most expensive in the United States, with a median home price of $7,755,000. Los Altos Hills has a ban on commercial zones, which was upheld by the California Court of Appeal in 1973. The town’s two retail commercial operations are the book store on the campus of Foothill College and the gift shop on the grounds of the Immaculate Heart Monastery of the Poor Clare Colettines. The town does not have a post office or library, with mail delivery provided from nearby Los Altos.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · 5.0% poverty · #6 income in California
Located in
San Mateo County, California
Hillsborough is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located 17 miles south of San Francisco on the San Francisco Peninsula, bordered by Burlingame to the north, San Mateo to the east, Highlands-Baywood Park to the south, and Interstate 280 to the west. The population was 11,273 as of 2013.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · 3.2% poverty · #6 income in California
Located in
Santa Clara County, California
Los Altos is a city in Santa Clara County, California, in northern Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 28,976 according to the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · 6.2% poverty · #6 income in California
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · 3.3% poverty · #6 income in California
Located in
Santa Clara County, California
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 29,926 at the 2010 census. Located on the Western edge of the Silicon Valley, Saratoga is known locally for its suburban small-town feel, wineries, and high-end restaurants. Major attractions of Saratoga include Villa Montalvo, Hakone Gardens, and the Mountain Winery.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · 4.5% poverty · #6 income in California
Located in
San Mateo County, California
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$231,101 median income · 6.0% poverty · #17 income in California
Located in
Santa Clara County, California
Palo Alto is a charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$234,707 median income · 4.1% poverty · #13 income in California
Located in
Santa Clara County, California
Cupertino is a U.S. city in Santa Clara County, California, directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 as of the 2010 census. Forbes ranked it as one of the most educated small towns, with local public schools ranking highly in the country. It is known as the home of the Apple Inc. corporate headquarters.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$232,969 median income · 1.9% poverty · #14 income in California
Located in
Marin County, California
Tiburon is an incorporated town in Marin County, California. It is located on the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay. The smaller city of Belvedere occupies the south-west part of the peninsula and is contiguous with Tiburon. Tiburon is bordered by Corte Madera to the north and Mill Valley to the west, but is otherwise mostly surrounded by the Bay. Besides Belvedere and Tiburon, much of the peninsula is unincorporated, including portions of the north side and the communities of Strawberry and Paradise Cay.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is California’s statewide median.
California statewide median: $99,122
California statewide median: $774,582
California statewide median: 12.0%
California statewide median: 6.6%
On the map
Where the money lives in California
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the richest places in California for 2026
The first thing most people reach for is personal income. After all, rich people have really high salaries. But one statistic doesn’t capture what it means to be one of the “richest places,” so we applied Saturday Night Science to two measures from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey:
- Median household income
- Median home value
Median household income is the most digestible way to understand how rich a place is, and home values are a measure of accumulated wealth. The two combine to define a “Rich City.”
After collecting the data for all 446 places in California with more than 3,000 people, we ranked each place from 1 to 446 on both criteria, then averaged the two ranks into a “Rich Score.” The place with the lowest Rich Score, Atherton, is crowned the richest city in California for 2026.
The full plate
All 100 richest cities in California, ranked
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Rich Score | Population | Median income | Median home value | Poverty | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atherton | 3.25 | 6,993 | $250,001 | $7,890,841 | 5.3% | 3.2% |
| 2 | Los Altos Hills | 3.75 | 8,377 | $250,001 | $6,102,345 | 7.3% | 3.5% |
| 3 | Hillsborough | 4.25 | 11,099 | $250,001 | $5,279,135 | 5.0% | 7.0% |
| 4 | Los Altos | 4.75 | 30,698 | $250,001 | $4,713,315 | 3.2% | 4.8% |
| 5 | Portola Valley | 5.25 | 4,305 | $250,001 | $4,275,093 | 6.2% | 3.1% |
| 6 | Saratoga | 5.75 | 30,319 | $250,001 | $4,189,623 | 3.3% | 4.0% |
| 7 | Woodside | 6.25 | 5,126 | $250,001 | $3,891,384 | 4.5% | 2.5% |
| 8 | Palo Alto | 12.50 | 67,237 | $231,101 | $3,722,200 | 6.0% | 3.9% |
| 9 | Cupertino | 13.00 | 58,566 | $234,707 | $3,189,452 | 4.1% | 4.0% |
| 10 | Tiburon | 14.50 | 9,012 | $232,969 | $3,020,895 | 1.9% | 10.5% |
| 11 | Piedmont | 14.75 | 10,945 | $250,001 | $2,459,056 | 4.3% | 1.5% |
| 12 | Palos Verdes Estates | 15.00 | 12,925 | $242,014 | $2,763,820 | 2.9% | 4.7% |
| 13 | San Carlos | 17.50 | 29,614 | $237,470 | $2,459,877 | 3.3% | 5.0% |
| 14 | Monte Sereno | 18.75 | 3,461 | $250,001 | $2,108,567 | 1.2% | 6.8% |
| 15 | Manhattan Beach | 19.00 | 34,210 | $204,306 | $3,227,202 | 4.5% | 3.8% |
| 16 | Del Mar | 19.00 | 3,903 | $199,152 | $3,626,890 | 2.7% | 1.8% |
| 17 | San Marino | 20.00 | 12,216 | $214,167 | $2,837,216 | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| 18 | Los Gatos | 20.00 | 32,786 | $217,554 | $2,705,289 | 4.2% | 5.0% |
| 19 | Menlo Park | 20.00 | 32,727 | $210,025 | $2,865,159 | 5.8% | 4.8% |
| 20 | Orinda | 20.75 | 19,514 | $250,001 | $1,985,117 | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| 21 | Malibu | 22.50 | 10,421 | $194,421 | $3,142,247 | 12.6% | 6.7% |
| 22 | Belmont | 26.00 | 27,337 | $205,297 | $2,332,686 | 6.9% | 7.2% |
| 23 | Villa Park | 26.50 | 5,748 | $202,245 | $2,343,977 | 7.8% | 2.9% |
| 24 | Danville | 28.00 | 43,401 | $232,216 | $1,908,521 | 3.8% | 5.6% |
| 25 | Lafayette | 28.00 | 25,285 | $228,250 | $1,934,581 | 2.9% | 4.3% |
| 26 | Mill Valley | 29.00 | 14,012 | $206,212 | $2,073,166 | 5.9% | 8.8% |
| 27 | Corte Madera | 29.50 | 10,077 | $232,763 | $1,838,958 | 4.6% | 4.2% |
| 28 | Burlingame | 32.00 | 30,525 | $174,000 | $2,761,630 | 7.1% | 5.7% |
| 29 | Sunnyvale | 32.50 | 154,236 | $186,170 | $2,168,909 | 5.8% | 4.5% |
| 30 | Foster City | 34.00 | 32,792 | $199,143 | $1,911,067 | 4.1% | 4.9% |
| 31 | Mountain View | 34.50 | 83,732 | $189,917 | $2,037,086 | 6.0% | 3.7% |
| 32 | Newport Beach | 35.50 | 83,845 | $156,867 | $3,625,146 | 6.6% | 4.3% |
| 33 | Rolling Hills Estates | 36.50 | 8,131 | $191,895 | $1,901,413 | 3.2% | 7.5% |
| 34 | Moraga | 37.50 | 16,769 | $216,193 | $1,666,830 | 7.3% | 6.4% |
| 35 | Hermosa Beach | 38.00 | 19,063 | $166,442 | $2,245,351 | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| 36 | Millbrae | 42.00 | 22,689 | $163,476 | $2,082,465 | 6.0% | 5.7% |
| 37 | Rancho Palos Verdes | 42.50 | 40,864 | $179,623 | $1,824,948 | 4.2% | 5.5% |
| 38 | Santa Clara | 44.00 | 130,256 | $178,958 | $1,782,192 | 8.4% | 5.1% |
| 39 | Laguna Beach | 45.00 | 22,710 | $143,843 | $2,949,835 | 6.1% | 5.0% |
| 40 | Pleasanton | 45.50 | 76,960 | $190,124 | $1,601,646 | 5.3% | 4.8% |
| 41 | San Ramon | 46.50 | 85,993 | $196,161 | $1,543,534 | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| 42 | Solana Beach | 46.50 | 12,823 | $152,167 | $2,183,118 | 5.5% | 3.5% |
| 43 | Encinitas | 48.00 | 61,480 | $162,229 | $1,889,066 | 7.4% | 4.5% |
| 44 | Westlake Village | 48.50 | 7,743 | $179,954 | $1,585,475 | 5.8% | 4.4% |
| 45 | Calabasas | 49.50 | 22,669 | $165,288 | $1,722,904 | 8.8% | 10.6% |
| 46 | Redwood City | 50.00 | 82,447 | $157,814 | $1,897,529 | 6.3% | 4.1% |
| 47 | San Anselmo | 50.50 | 12,679 | $173,641 | $1,647,302 | 7.4% | 7.0% |
| 48 | Fremont | 50.50 | 228,295 | $181,506 | $1,543,132 | 5.2% | 4.7% |
| 49 | Sausalito | 51.00 | 7,141 | $182,357 | $1,505,307 | 8.0% | 8.0% |
| 50 | Campbell | 54.00 | 42,781 | $145,268 | $1,977,422 | 5.6% | 5.0% |
| 51 | Milpitas | 54.50 | 78,578 | $178,798 | $1,502,891 | 5.9% | 4.1% |
| 52 | Beverly Hills | 55.00 | 31,624 | $132,977 | $3,662,756 | 9.6% | 8.3% |
| 53 | Dublin | 56.00 | 70,803 | $214,385 | $1,305,295 | 4.5% | 3.8% |
| 54 | El Segundo | 56.50 | 16,769 | $150,737 | $1,759,408 | 5.3% | 6.0% |
| 55 | San Mateo | 58.00 | 103,105 | $153,504 | $1,686,905 | 8.2% | 4.6% |
| 56 | Larkspur | 58.00 | 12,854 | $140,417 | $2,129,545 | 7.0% | 4.4% |
| 57 | Coronado | 59.00 | 19,015 | $134,534 | $2,508,031 | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| 58 | Half Moon Bay | 59.00 | 11,391 | $157,884 | $1,573,307 | 5.6% | 2.4% |
| 59 | La Habra Heights | 59.50 | 5,478 | $179,583 | $1,399,870 | 4.9% | 2.8% |
| 60 | Indian Wells | 62.00 | 4,871 | $162,990 | $1,441,368 | 3.2% | 6.1% |
| 61 | St. Helena | 62.00 | 5,318 | $148,750 | $1,633,318 | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| 62 | Dana Point | 65.00 | 32,790 | $141,520 | $1,736,393 | 7.2% | 4.0% |
| 63 | Yorba Linda | 66.50 | 67,170 | $157,582 | $1,419,513 | 5.8% | 4.7% |
| 64 | Morgan Hill | 67.00 | 45,425 | $163,920 | $1,356,869 | 4.1% | 5.3% |
| 65 | Redondo Beach | 67.00 | 69,291 | $150,245 | $1,500,192 | 5.4% | 5.5% |
| 66 | Carmel-by-the-Sea | 67.00 | 3,162 | $129,250 | $2,364,653 | 6.2% | 3.1% |
| 67 | San Clemente | 68.50 | 63,273 | $140,062 | $1,721,005 | 5.8% | 4.6% |
| 68 | San Jose | 70.00 | 990,138 | $146,427 | $1,463,614 | 8.1% | 5.1% |
| 69 | Newark | 71.50 | 46,903 | $169,064 | $1,260,998 | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| 70 | Agoura Hills | 72.00 | 19,721 | $171,302 | $1,259,726 | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| 71 | Pacifica | 74.00 | 37,261 | $160,523 | $1,284,847 | 5.8% | 3.9% |
| 72 | Sierra Madre | 74.50 | 10,940 | $143,547 | $1,437,492 | 4.6% | 2.6% |
| 73 | Irvine | 76.00 | 311,690 | $136,719 | $1,557,982 | 10.8% | 5.9% |
| 74 | Laguna Niguel | 76.50 | 64,139 | $140,452 | $1,499,546 | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| 75 | Carlsbad | 79.00 | 114,373 | $142,748 | $1,370,649 | 6.9% | 5.5% |
| 76 | Albany | 84.00 | 19,414 | $144,107 | $1,261,177 | 6.8% | 3.1% |
| 77 | San Francisco | 84.00 | 830,235 | $140,970 | $1,356,662 | 11.2% | 6.1% |
| 78 | South Pasadena | 84.00 | 26,068 | $127,175 | $1,692,678 | 4.9% | 5.1% |
| 79 | Poway | 85.50 | 48,713 | $148,359 | $1,230,064 | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| 80 | San Bruno | 85.50 | 42,307 | $141,272 | $1,327,402 | 6.0% | 5.0% |
| 81 | Scotts Valley | 86.00 | 12,044 | $143,750 | $1,260,978 | 5.9% | 2.9% |
| 82 | Brisbane | 87.00 | 4,692 | $156,169 | $1,159,533 | 5.5% | 8.7% |
| 83 | Livermore | 88.00 | 85,522 | $160,775 | $1,122,823 | 4.9% | 3.6% |
| 84 | Clayton | 89.00 | 10,937 | $175,707 | $1,057,924 | 2.5% | 6.7% |
| 85 | Fairfax | 92.00 | 7,516 | $141,653 | $1,213,199 | 12.1% | 10.2% |
| 86 | South San Francisco | 95.50 | 64,305 | $136,578 | $1,242,214 | 6.7% | 2.8% |
| 87 | Union City | 96.00 | 67,464 | $133,715 | $1,276,127 | 7.2% | 5.3% |
| 88 | San Juan Capistrano | 96.50 | 35,095 | $129,457 | $1,342,011 | 8.3% | 3.6% |
| 89 | Mission Viejo | 97.50 | 92,151 | $136,123 | $1,229,743 | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| 90 | Santa Monica | 99.50 | 91,169 | $114,885 | $1,703,948 | 11.2% | 6.7% |
| 91 | Lake Forest | 100.50 | 86,281 | $135,175 | $1,208,686 | 8.5% | 4.9% |
| 92 | Alameda | 101.00 | 77,238 | $137,697 | $1,155,484 | 7.2% | 5.7% |
| 93 | Rancho Santa Margarita | 102.50 | 46,990 | $152,560 | $1,029,346 | 5.7% | 4.1% |
| 94 | Goleta | 104.00 | 32,685 | $122,370 | $1,364,878 | 9.3% | 4.2% |
| 95 | Laguna Hills | 104.50 | 30,740 | $128,851 | $1,243,180 | 7.8% | 6.2% |
| 96 | Huntington Beach | 106.50 | 195,240 | $120,919 | $1,366,658 | 7.8% | 5.4% |
| 97 | Eastvale | 106.50 | 70,633 | $160,069 | $949,255 | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| 98 | Walnut | 108.50 | 27,611 | $129,449 | $1,197,951 | 10.1% | 3.5% |
| 99 | Santa Barbara | 110.50 | 87,779 | $106,182 | $1,834,095 | 14.0% | 5.8% |
| 100 | Brea | 110.50 | 47,469 | $131,129 | $1,140,406 | 6.6% | 5.1% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 446 cities with more than 3,000 residents.
Atherton is the richest place in California for 2026
When we set out to identify the richest places in California, we weren’t sure what we’d find, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in the state. The richest cities in California are Atherton, Los Altos Hills, and Hillsborough, and when you look at the data they sit at the very top of the income ladder for everyone who lives there.
Breaking into the top ten takes a median household income of at least $231,101. If you’re curious about the other end of the ledger, the poorest places are listed to the right.
