Ranking · California
Richest and poorest places in California
At least 25 of California's 1,037 ranked places have a median household income at the survey's top value ($250,000 or more) and share first place; listed by mean household income, Atherton and Norris Canyon come first; University of California-Davis has the lowest ($18,631). Ranked: places with 1,000 or more residents in the 2020 Census and an estimate whose coefficient of variation is 40% or less.
Which are the richest places?
Richest places in California, first to fifth: Atherton ($250,000 or more), Norris Canyon ($250,000 or more), Shell Ridge ($250,000 or more), Hillsborough ($250,000 or more) and Ross ($250,000 or more).
| Rank | Place | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atherton | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Norris Canyon | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Shell Ridge | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Hillsborough | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Ross | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Monte Sereno | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Belvedere | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Rolling Hills, Los Angeles County | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Woodside | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Portola Valley | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | West Menlo Park | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Los Altos Hills | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Emerald Lake Hills | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Sleepy Hollow | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Hidden Hills | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Los Altos | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Piedmont | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Camino Tassajara | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Loyola | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Highlands | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Alamo | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Bell Canyon | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Orinda | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Saratoga | $250,000 or more |
| 1 | Del Rio | $250,000 or more |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov
Which are the poorest places?
Poorest places in California, first to fifth: University of California-Davis ($18,631), Weedpatch ($22,044), Redway ($23,720), Isla Vista ($25,972) and Lake Isabella ($26,661).
| Rank | Place | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| 1,037 | University of California-Daviswithin the margin | $18,631±$3,429 |
| 1,036 | Weedpatchwithin the margin | $22,044±$7,053 |
| 1,035 | Redwaywithin the margin | $23,720±$15,195 |
| 1,034 | Isla Vistawithin the margin | $25,972±$5,478 |
| 1,033 | Lake Isabellawithin the margin | $26,661±$2,997 |
| 1,032 | Dunniganwithin the margin | $29,193±$10,862 |
| 1,031 | Buttonwillowwithin the margin | $35,086±$8,593 |
| 1,030 | Weldonwithin the margin | $35,221±$21,634 |
| 1,029 | Crescent Citywithin the margin | $35,540±$12,890 |
| 1,028 | Clearlake Oakswithin the margin | $35,938±$10,014 |
| 1,027 | Lamontwithin the margin | $37,217±$4,737 |
| 1,026 | Desert Edgewithin the margin | $37,429±$8,779 |
| 1,025 | Laytonvillewithin the margin | $37,656±$14,652 |
| 1,024 | Needleswithin the margin | $38,243±$10,232 |
| 1,023 | Tevistonwithin the margin | $38,447±$23,060 |
| 1,022 | East Bakersfieldwithin the margin | $38,644±$10,849 |
| 1,021 | Wofford Heightswithin the margin | $38,686±$9,181 |
| 1,020 | Oasiswithin the margin | $38,769±$2,627 |
| 1,019 | Weedwithin the margin | $38,854±$8,003 |
| 1,018 | Maricopawithin the margin | $39,120±$6,105 |
| 1,017 | Big Riverwithin the margin | $39,773±$13,940 |
| 1,016 | Bodfishwithin the margin | $39,863±$6,014 |
| 1,015 | Mariposawithin the margin | $40,772±$20,374 |
| 1,014 | East Portervillewithin the margin | $41,061±$9,644 |
| 1,013 | Clearlake | $41,867±$4,414 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov
Which places in California have the highest income per person?
The survey publishes income per person without a top code, so it gives a figure even for the richest places: Portola Valley has the highest estimate, $191,133 per resident (±$31,081), but it is within the margin of error of Atherton ($188,631): the survey cannot say which is higher.
| Rank | Place | Per capita income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portola Valleywithin the margin | $191,133±$31,081 |
| 2 | Athertonwithin the margin | $188,631±$22,223 |
| 3 | Rolling Hills, Los Angeles Countywithin the margin | $184,557±$32,060 |
| 4 | Belvederewithin the margin | $183,909±$31,272 |
| 5 | Monte Serenowithin the margin | $180,483±$27,545 |
| 6 | Shell Ridgewithin the margin | $180,214±$109,695 |
| 7 | Hillsboroughwithin the margin | $179,325±$16,697 |
| 8 | Rosswithin the margin | $173,984±$22,736 |
| 9 | Laderawithin the margin | $171,247±$38,868 |
| 10 | Lake Sherwood | $166,573±$33,642 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov
How is this ranking made?
Each place's median household income is read from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. A place enters the ranking if it had 1,000 or more residents in the 2020 Census and its estimate has a coefficient of variation of 40% or less. Ties in the published figure share a rank. This is a measurement of one figure, not a judgment of a place.
Source: PlainCities ranking method applied to the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections