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 2024.
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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Richest Places In California For 2024
To narrow down the richest cities in California, we looked at median household income and home prices for all cities also with a population of at least 3,000. This filter left us with 446 cities.
What is the richest city in California? The richest city in California for 2024 is Atherton.
To take a closer look at the wealthiest cities in California for 2024, warm up your yacht, head to the sunny side of Half Moon Beach, and read on.
Rich people not your cup of tea? Feel free to check out some more reading about California:
The 10 Richest Cities In California For 2024
1. Atherton
/10
Population: 7,124
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Values: $7,732,900
More on Atherton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
2. Los Altos Hills
/10
Population: 8,441
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Values: $5,525,121
More on Los Altos Hills: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
3. Hillsborough
/10
Population: 11,258
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Values: $5,101,758
More on Hillsborough: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
4. Los Altos
/10
Population: 31,133
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Values: $4,060,663
More on Los Altos: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
5. Monte Sereno
/10
6. Portola Valley
/10
Population: 4,397
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Values: $3,841,103
More on Portola Valley: Data | Real Estate
7. Woodside
/10
Population: 5,256
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Values: $3,633,237
More on Woodside: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
8. Saratoga
/10
Population: 30,771
Median Income: $237,730
Median Home Values: $3,602,379
More on Saratoga: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Palo Alto
/10
Population: 67,901
Median Income: $214,118
Median Home Values: $3,220,174
More on Palo Alto: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Piedmont
/10
Population: 11,161
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Values: $2,521,288
More on Piedmont: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Richest Places In California For 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the richest places is simply identifying personal incomes. After all, rich people have really high salaries.
However, we don’t believe that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “richest places.” So we looked at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey and applied Saturday Night Science:
- Median Home Values
- Median Household Income
Median household income is the most digestible way to understand how rich a place is. And home values are a measure of wealth. The two combine to define a “Rich City.”
After we collected the data for all 446 places with more than 3,000 people in California, we ranked each place from 1 to 446 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the richest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Rich Score,” with the place having the lowest overall Rich Score, Atherton, crowned the “Richest City In California For 2024.”
The data has been updated for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the wealthiest cities in California.
You can skip to the end to see the rankings for all 446 places.
Summary: The Wealthiest Places In California For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the richest places in California, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in California.
The richest cities in California are Atherton, Los Altos Hills, Hillsborough, Los Altos, Monte Sereno, Portola Valley, Woodside, Saratoga, Palo Alto, and Piedmont.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very top of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the poorest cities in California, according to data:
Poorest: Needles
2nd Poorest: Clearlake
3rd Poorest: Orange Cove
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Worst Places To Live In California
Detailed List Of The Richest Cities In California
| Rank | City | RichScore | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atherton | 3.0 | $250,001 | $7,732,900 |
| 2 | Los Altos Hills | 3.5 | $250,001 | $5,525,121 |
| 3 | Hillsborough | 4.0 | $250,001 | $5,101,758 |
| 4 | Los Altos | 4.5 | $250,001 | $4,060,663 |
| 5 | Monte Sereno | 5.0 | $250,001 | $3,980,200 |
| 6 | Portola Valley | 5.5 | $250,001 | $3,841,103 |
| 7 | Woodside | 6.5 | $250,001 | $3,633,237 |
| 8 | Saratoga | 10.0 | $237,730 | $3,602,379 |
| 9 | Palo Alto | 13.5 | $214,118 | $3,220,174 |
| 10 | Piedmont | 13.5 | $250,001 | $2,521,288 |
| 11 | Palos Verdes Estates | 14.0 | $224,766 | $2,717,769 |
| 12 | Cupertino | 15.0 | $223,667 | $2,701,204 |
| 13 | Tiburon | 17.0 | $200,886 | $2,963,608 |
| 14 | Orinda | 19.0 | $250,001 | $2,000,722 |
| 15 | San Carlos | 19.0 | $219,413 | $2,206,123 |
| 16 | Menlo Park | 19.5 | $198,273 | $2,574,718 |
| 17 | Malibu | 20.0 | $186,905 | $3,392,502 |
| 18 | Del Mar | 20.0 | $185,335 | $3,618,018 |
| 19 | Los Gatos | 20.5 | $198,117 | $2,554,492 |
| 20 | Manhattan Beach | 21.0 | $187,217 | $2,990,671 |
| 21 | Mill Valley | 24.0 | $202,986 | $2,043,408 |
| 22 | Lafayette | 25.0 | $219,250 | $1,924,093 |
| 23 | Danville | 27.5 | $209,518 | $1,861,576 |
| 24 | San Marino | 28.5 | $174,253 | $2,524,471 |
| 25 | Villa Park | 28.5 | $189,306 | $2,030,498 |
| 26 | Belmont | 29.5 | $185,944 | $2,118,293 |
| 27 | Corte Madera | 30.0 | $210,560 | $1,760,932 |
| 28 | Burlingame | 32.0 | $165,940 | $2,516,360 |
| 29 | Foster City | 32.5 | $191,267 | $1,799,252 |
| 30 | Newport Beach | 34.0 | $149,471 | $3,132,424 |
| 31 | Moraga | 34.0 | $193,707 | $1,737,291 |
| 32 | Rolling Hills Estates | 34.0 | $179,917 | $1,986,586 |
| 33 | Sunnyvale | 36.0 | $174,506 | $1,875,596 |
| 34 | Mountain View | 38.0 | $174,156 | $1,845,861 |
| 35 | Rancho Palos Verdes | 40.0 | $166,747 | $1,836,118 |
| 36 | Laguna Beach | 40.5 | $141,875 | $2,817,490 |
| 37 | Hermosa Beach | 40.5 | $149,500 | $2,169,343 |
| 38 | San Ramon | 40.5 | $190,829 | $1,550,726 |
| 39 | Pleasanton | 43.0 | $181,639 | $1,582,884 |
| 40 | Larkspur | 43.5 | $147,772 | $2,123,779 |
| 41 | Westlake Village | 45.0 | $188,681 | $1,444,578 |
| 42 | San Anselmo | 46.0 | $165,366 | $1,659,899 |
| 43 | Millbrae | 47.5 | $146,649 | $1,927,421 |
| 44 | Calabasas | 48.5 | $154,079 | $1,667,987 |
| 45 | Solana Beach | 50.5 | $137,647 | $2,030,109 |
| 46 | Santa Clara | 51.0 | $165,352 | $1,524,900 |
| 47 | Sausalito | 51.5 | $163,170 | $1,538,563 |
| 48 | Fremont | 51.5 | $169,023 | $1,413,076 |
| 49 | Encinitas | 52.5 | $142,506 | $1,808,679 |
| 50 | Dublin | 53.5 | $191,039 | $1,293,624 |
| 51 | Redwood City | 54.0 | $145,620 | $1,706,486 |
| 52 | Milpitas | 54.5 | $166,769 | $1,346,828 |
| 53 | La Habra Heights | 57.5 | $179,990 | $1,294,550 |
| 54 | El Segundo | 58.0 | $142,596 | $1,606,335 |
| 55 | San Mateo | 58.0 | $149,152 | $1,510,087 |
| 56 | Campbell | 58.5 | $141,794 | $1,652,630 |
| 57 | Half Moon Bay | 59.0 | $148,702 | $1,510,034 |
| 58 | St. Helena | 60.5 | $135,781 | $1,750,362 |
| 59 | Carmel-By-The-Sea | 61.0 | $126,406 | $2,205,659 |
| 60 | Coronado | 61.5 | $125,558 | $2,474,258 |
| 61 | Beverly Hills | 62.0 | $116,771 | $3,641,358 |
| 62 | Morgan Hill | 65.0 | $152,199 | $1,310,579 |
| 63 | San Clemente | 67.0 | $134,730 | $1,564,490 |
| 64 | Pacifica | 70.0 | $151,849 | $1,246,502 |
| 65 | Carlsbad | 71.5 | $134,139 | $1,449,918 |
| 66 | South Pasadena | 72.5 | $127,882 | $1,650,214 |
| 67 | Newark | 73.5 | $159,465 | $1,189,585 |
| 68 | Yorba Linda | 74.0 | $148,325 | $1,245,181 |
| 69 | Agoura Hills | 74.5 | $157,930 | $1,186,593 |
| 70 | Redondo Beach | 74.5 | $134,033 | $1,379,761 |
| 71 | San Jose | 74.5 | $136,010 | $1,330,692 |
| 72 | Laguna Niguel | 77.0 | $135,822 | $1,312,612 |
| 73 | Scotts Valley | 78.5 | $136,867 | $1,261,441 |
| 74 | San Francisco | 79.5 | $136,689 | $1,254,436 |
| 75 | Sierra Madre | 80.5 | $128,056 | $1,347,845 |
| 76 | Livermore | 83.5 | $152,590 | $1,087,248 |
| 77 | Clayton | 83.5 | $164,899 | $1,066,247 |
| 78 | Union City | 83.5 | $138,013 | $1,190,525 |
| 79 | Indian Wells | 84.0 | $132,479 | $1,286,388 |
| 80 | Dana Point | 85.5 | $119,632 | $1,541,691 |
| 81 | San Bruno | 86.5 | $131,669 | $1,253,713 |
| 82 | Brisbane | 89.5 | $137,583 | $1,134,881 |
| 83 | Irvine | 90.0 | $122,948 | $1,331,528 |
| 84 | Poway | 91.5 | $135,605 | $1,140,886 |
| 85 | Alameda | 93.0 | $129,917 | $1,192,032 |
| 86 | Fairfax | 94.5 | $126,034 | $1,234,232 |
| 87 | Mission Viejo | 96.5 | $136,570 | $1,077,063 |
| 88 | South San Francisco | 97.0 | $127,062 | $1,191,225 |
| 89 | Albany | 98.5 | $124,469 | $1,208,704 |
| 90 | Santa Monica | 99.0 | $106,797 | $1,685,607 |
| 91 | Rancho Santa Margarita | 99.5 | $150,146 | $938,523 |
| 92 | San Rafael | 99.5 | $113,839 | $1,346,362 |
| 93 | Walnut | 101.0 | $130,444 | $1,093,688 |
| 94 | Culver City | 101.5 | $114,429 | $1,318,480 |
| 95 | Pleasant Hill | 102.0 | $137,685 | $996,672 |
| 96 | Walnut Creek | 103.0 | $129,971 | $1,086,764 |
| 97 | San Juan Capistrano | 104.0 | $123,474 | $1,177,462 |
| 98 | Goleta | 104.0 | $113,889 | $1,308,615 |
| 99 | Eastvale | 106.5 | $151,615 | $884,749 |
| 100 | Lake Forest | 107.5 | $128,358 | $1,056,345 |