A Texas town that the Jonas Brothers call home tops the list.
The Town of Westlake, Texas, might be best-known for being the home of the Jonas Brothers. But this Dallas suburb, where Buffalo roam the ranch land, is crawling with the rich and famous. Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton has a house there, as does his boss, Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg. Vernon Wells, the Toronto Blue Jays center fielder, is building a massive home in Westlake; New York Yankee Mark Teixeira already owns a house there that he's been trying to sell.
Westlake boasts a Tom Fazio designed golf course and some famous golfers like K.J. Choi and Todd Hamilton live there, too. Former Exxon chief Lee Raymond is building a house in Westlake, which is already home to Matthew Rose, the CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe ( BNI - news - people ), who is seen as a potential successor of Warren Buffett.
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No wonder this Dallas suburb is the most affluent neighborhood in the country, with estimated annual median household income of $250,000.
"It's not so much of a surprise, since we are a very small town and we have a number of highly paid professional athletes who live here, CEOs of major corporations, members of a popular band of brothers," says Laura Wheat, the mayor of the Town of Westlake. "There is no place like it."
Westlake has 703 residents who live in rolling estates and send their children to the only municipally owned federal charter school in Texas. There is also a grass runway for airplanes belonging to the residents. Deloitte, a big accounting and consulting firm, is building a $300 million training center in Westlake, adding to a strong corporate presence that includes Fidelity Investments' regional headquarters.
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But not even Westlake has been able to escape the tough fiscal realities confronting many municipalities across America. Westlake recently introduced a property tax that was necessary because declining sales tax revenue was forcing the town to eat into its financial reserves.
To determine America's most affluent neighborhoods, we looked at average median household income estimates from 2005 to 2009 provided in the U.S. Census' American Community Survey. On Dec. 14, 2010, the Census released for the first time ever data estimates based on surveys collected between 2005 and 2009 from all communities in America. These include cities, towns and villages, as well as Census-designated places (CDPs), a type of neighborhood that lacks a separate municipal government, but otherwise physically resembles one of these other places. None of the most affluent communities and places had populations greater than 64,999.
Topping the list was Westlake, followed by the Village of Kenilworth, Ill., a Chicago suburb that ranks as the most exclusive neighborhood in the Midwest, with estimated median household income of $247,000. Even after the housing slump the average house in Kenilworth sells for about $1 million. Another suburb, Mission Hills, Kan., rounds out the top three. With median household income of $243,000, Mission Hills is home to Kansas City's richest, including former Kansas City Royals star George Brett.
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The smallest neighborhood to make the list ranks fourth: Popponesset Island, Mass., which at the time of the 2000 Census had only 39 residents. The small population is the reason for the huge margin of error cited by the Census for its median household income estimate. Nevertheless, this Cape Cod island, surrounded by the waters of Popponesset Bay, is estimated to have household median income of $243,000. Billionaire Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, has owned a residence on Popponesset Island, but he recently reportedly sold a big stake in the property to his son and daughter-in-law.
No region, however, has more of the nation's most affluent neighborhoods than Long Island, N.Y.. The villages of Plandome, Hewlett Neck, Plandome Manor and Munsey Park are all among the nation's richest, with estimated household median income of between $234,000 and $242,000. All of these Long Island communities are in Nassau County.
1: Town of Westlake, Texas
Average Median Income: $250,000
This Dallas suburb is home to the Jonas Brothers, famous baseball players and golfers like Josh Hamilton and K.J. Choi, and big-shot CEOs like Matthew Rose. It's the richest place in the nation with an estimated annual median household income of $250,000.
2: Village of Kenilworth, IL.
Average Median Income: $247,000
Located along Lake Michigan's north shore, this Chicago suburb is the most exclusive neighborhood in the Midwest. Its estimated median household income is $247,000. Even after the housing slump, the average house here goes for just under $988,000, according to Zillow.
3 (Tie): Mission Hills, Kan.
Average Median Income: $243,000
Mission Hills is a suburb of Kansas City. It's in Kansas, not Missouri, but is home to the richest people in the area, like Kansas City Royals legend George Brett. Its estimated median household income is $243,000.
3 (Tie): Popponesset Island, Mass.
Average Median Income: $243,000
The smallest neighborhood to make the list, this Cape Cod island had only 39 residents, according to the 2000 Census. Billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, has owned a residence here, but recently reportedly sold a big stake in the property to his son and daughter-in-law.
The median household income is estimated to be $243,000, but the margin of error cited by the Census is as big as the Patriots' offensive line.
5: Village of Plandome, N.Y.
Average Median Income: $242,000
Long Island, N.Y., is well represented on the list of the most affluent neighborhoods. The Village of Plandome has an estimated annual median household income of $242,000.
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