12 Southern Cities Where the Upper Class Is Getting Richer

GOBankingRates recently conducted a study to see, in effect, where the rich are getting richer. It probably comes as no surprise that California jurisdictions took up a large chunk (40%) of the top 50 cities, and it is probably equally as unsurprising that Southern states were not well represented.

Among the 71 cities that qualified for the study (using income and population standards), only a dozen were to be found in the South.

Check out how income has increased in these cities since 2020.

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 17.9%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 25.2%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $38,482
• Household median income (2023): $191,128
• Household median income (2020): $152,646

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 18%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 19.5%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $29,230
• Household median income (2023): $179,063
• Household median income (2020): $149,833

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 18.6%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 18.1%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $25,064
• Household median income (2023): $163,662
• Household median income (2020): $138,598

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 14%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 25.3%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $40,464
• Household median income (2023): $200,156
• Household median income (2020): $159,692

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 15%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 22%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $33,826
• Household median income (2023): $187,603
• Household median income (2020): $153,777

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 15.3%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 14.1%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $21,165
• Household median income (2023): $170,989
• Household median income (2020): $149,824

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 14%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 15.6%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $23,312
• Household median income (2023): $172,654
• Household median income (2020): $149,342

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 15.9%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 18.7%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $32,081
• Household median income (2023): $203,566
• Household median income (2020): $171,485

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 17.3%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 12.3%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $27,413
• Household median income (2023): $250,000
• Household median income (2020): $222,587

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 14%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 15.3%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $24,546
• Household median income (2023): $184,720
• Household median income (2020): $160,174

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 10.3%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 13%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $21,963
• Household median income (2023): $190,701
• Household median income (2020): $168,738

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 10.6%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 11.8%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $26,379
• Household median income (2023): $250,000
• Household median income (2020): $223,621

Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates first took the 50 cities with the highest mean household income and with a minimum of 8,000 total households and at least $162,000 in household median income as sourced from the 2023 American Community Survey. GOBankingRates then found each city’s (1) 2020 median household income; (2) 2023 median household income; (3) three-year percent change in median household income; (4) 2020 percent of population with a household income of $200,000+; (5) 2023 percent of population with a household income of $200,000+; (6) three-year percent change in population with a household income of $200,000+. Factors (3) and (6) were then scored and combined. All data was collected on and is up to date as of March 7, 2025.