Housing

America's Most Expensive Zip Code

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Where do the rich live? In gated communities near large cities. In areas with million-dollar houses surrounded by golf courses. And in remote locations where they can ski uninterrupted or sail their yachts. One thing that has been steady about where the rich live is that Atherton, California, is at the top of the list. With a median home price of $7,950,000, according to RealtyHop, Atherton is in America’s most expensive Zip code. It is the fourth year in a row that the town has highlighted the data broker’s most expensive Zip codes report.

RealtyHop looked at 3.6 million Zip codes and ranked them by median home price. California has 61 of the top 100. Only 12 states had no Zip codes that made the list at all. Los Angeles had seven of the 100. (In these 34 cities, most people make more than $90K a year.)

About Atherton

Atherton is north of Palo Alto and south of Redwood City. It is also near the CA 101, among the most famous highways on the West Coast. The town sits about 25 miles south of San Francisco.

According to the Census Bureau, Atherton has a population of 6,898. About 73% of the population is white, and just over 16% is Asian.

The highest median household income the Census Bureau reports is $250,000+. Atherton’s is much above that. The poverty rate is 3%, which seems overstated.

None of us will ever live in Atherton. Some of the houses seem so well protected that we may never be able to sightsee either.

America’s Most Expensive Zip Codes

These are America’s most expensive Zip codes and their median home prices:

  • Atherton, Calif. (94027): $7,950,000
  • Beverly Hills, Calif. (90210): $6,290,000
  • Sagaponack, N.Y. (11962): $5,900,000
  • Fisher Island, Fla. (33109): $5,700,000
  • Water Mill, N.Y. (11976): $4,950,000
  • Montecito, Calif. (93108): $4,795,000
  • Medina, Wash. (98039): $4,750,000
  • Los Altos Hills, Calif. (94022): $4,380,000
  • Newport Beach, Calif. (92661): $4,350,000
  • Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (92067): $4,250,000

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