20 US Cities Where Millennials Make the Most Money — 11 Are in California
Written by
Jacob Wade
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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Millennials have officially entered their prime earning years. With most of this generation now in their 30s and early 40s, incomes have climbed sharply compared to a decade ago.
But where you live still makes a huge difference. According to SmartAsset’s 2025 data, the biggest millennial paychecks are not in New York or Washington, D.C. anymore. They are in California.
20 U.S. Cities Where Millennials Make the Most Money – 11 Are in California
Here are the top 20 U.S. cities where millennials earn the most, based on median millennial household income.
| Rank | City, State | Median Millennial Household Income |
| 1 | Sunnyvale, California | $234,577 |
| 2 | Santa Clara, California | $216,088 |
| 3 | San Mateo, California | $201,857 |
| 4 | Fremont, California | $188,766 |
| 5 | San Francisco, California | $188,353 |
| 6 | San Jose, California | $186,105 |
| 7 | Bellevue, Washington | $179,214 |
| 8 | Irvine, California | $157,175 |
| 9 | Fishers, Indiana | $155,843 |
| 10 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | $154,375 |
| 11 | Thousand Oaks, California | $152,039 |
| 12 | Centennial, Colorado | $150,782 |
| 13 | Arvada, Colorado | $150,685 |
| 14 | Naperville, Illinois | $150,638 |
| 15 | Sugar Land, Texas | $150,461 |
| 16 | Berkeley, California | $146,987 |
| 17 | Simi Valley, California | $146,009 |
| 18 | Carlsbad, California | $145,648 |
| 19 | Jersey City, New Jersey | $143,500 |
| 20 | Quincy, Massachusetts | $140,661 |
California’s Millennial Boom
Half of the top 20 cities, 11 in total, are in California. Six of those are clustered in one region: The Bay Area and Silicon Valley.
It is not surprising that tech money dominates this list. Cities like Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Jose, and Fremont sit at the center of America’s most concentrated wealth engine. From Apple to Google, the Bay Area’s median millennial household brings in six figures, with many earning more than $180,000 per year.
What is more interesting is how consistent California’s performance is beyond the tech industry. Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Carlsbad represent Southern California’s professional and biotech hubs. Irvine has built an entire ecosystem of high-paying jobs in finance, real estate and engineering.
These cities show that California’s high incomes are not just a Silicon Valley story anymore. They are spread across multiple high-skill industries.
Why California Attracts High-Earning Millennials
1. The talent loop: California’s universities, including Stanford, Cal, UCLA, and USC, create a steady stream of highly-skilled workers who tend to stay local. This creates what economists call a “talent loop.” Local graduates feed local companies, those companies grow and new startups attract even more skilled workers. The result is a self-reinforcing cycle that keeps wages high.
2. High-wage company headquarters: The Bay Area and Orange County together host more Fortune 500 headquarters and venture-funded startups than any other state. High-density industries such as tech, entertainment, healthcare, and green energy cluster talent, which pushes wages higher across the board.
3. California is expensive (wages must match): High incomes are both a reward and a requirement in California. You might earn $200,000 in Sunnyvale, but a starter home can easily cost $1.5 million. Employers must compete with the state’s high cost of living, which inflates salaries far beyond national averages. According to Zillow, the typical California home costs more than $750,000 statewide, nearly double the U.S. average.
4. Lifestyle and opportunity: Despite the high costs, California continues to attract ambitious millennials who want both career growth and lifestyle perks. The beaches, weather, and cultural variety are major draws. You can earn tech-level paychecks while living within a short drive of the ocean or the mountains.
Other High-Income Hotspots
Outside of California, a few other metros stand out.
- Bellevue, Washington: The Seattle suburb is full of Amazon and Microsoft talent, and its millennial households earn nearly $180,000.
- Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard and MIT graduates keep this biotech and technology hub among the highest-paying areas in the country.
- Naperville, Illinois, and Sugar Land, Texas: Both rank high thanks to strong corporate and energy-sector employment.
- Fishers, Indiana: The biggest surprise on the list. It is one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing cities. With a median millennial income of $155,843, it proves that you do not have to live on a coast to earn a big paycheck.
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