Areas like Silicon Valley and Beverly Hills, California attract the West Coast wealthy, and Manhattan lures East Coast elites. However, the richest zip code in the United States belongs to a little island in Florida – Fisher Island, according to a new Bloomberg study.
When it comes to money, the people of Fisher Island have loads to spare—so much that it’s considered the wealthiest zip code in America. This accomplishment is a huge jump from its fourth place slot two years ago.
Why Fisher Island?
Situated just off the coast of Miami and Miami Beach (you can see it from South Beach), Fisher Island is a secluded, picturesque island that’s reachable only by boat, water taxi, or helicopter. It has residents averaging an income of $2.5 million in 2015. The elite peninsula (ZIP code 33109) is home to some of the world’s top earners (including Oprah Winfrey, once upon a time).
Bloomberg analyzed IRS data from 2015 to create the top 20 ZIP codes by average adjusted gross income. A ZIP code needed to have at least 500 households and required to have filed more than 200 tax returns as of 2015 to be able to enter the rank.
Although such rankings can be “skewed by outliers,” Bloomberg notes that more than half of the tax returns in Fisher Island showed an income of over $200,000. The island was once the winter estate of wealthy businessman William K. Vanderbilt, and many other celebrities have also called Fisher Island their home including Oprah Winfrey, Mel Brooks, and Andre Agassi.
However, it is now an “ultra-private” residential community, according to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. Athletes, models, top executives, and lawyers are just some of the professionals who call 33109 home.
Other cities and towns on the list might surprise you. While ZIP codes in California, New York, and Florida certainly crop up several times, communities in Illinois, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania also make appearances.
The Top 10
Here’s the full list of the Bloomberg’s top 10 wealthiest ZIP codes in America:
- Fisher Island, Miami Beach, Florida (33109)
- Atherton, California(94027)
- Palm Beach, Florida(33480)
- Palo Alto, California(94301)
- Harrison, New York(10577)
- Gladwyne, Pennsylvania(19035)
- Century City, Los Angeles, California(90067)
- Kenilworth, Illinois(60043)
- Weston, Massachusetts(02493)
- San Francisco, California(94111)