20 California Cities Where the Upper Class Is Getting Richer

If it seems like all of the money is in California, it’s probably because a whole lot of it is.

A recent study from GOBankingRates found 50 cities where upper-class people are getting richer — and 20 of them are in California.

Check out where California’s upper-class citizens are gaining wealth.

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 23.2%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 34.2%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $52,301
• Household median income (2023): $205,046
• Household median income (2020): $152,745

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 24.4%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 29.7%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $47,563
• Household median income (2023): $207,609
• Household median income (2020): $160,046

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 21.6%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 33%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $51,621
• Household median income (2023): $207,891
• Household median income (2020): $156,270

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 26.6%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 22%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $30,488
• Household median income (2023): $168,832
• Household median income (2020): $138,344

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 19.4%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 33%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $55,379
• Household median income (2023): $223,206
• Household median income (2020): $167,827

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 20.8%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 29.2%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $37,290
• Household median income (2023): $164,909
• Household median income (2020): $127,619

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 20.5%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 26.4%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $48,282
• Household median income (2023): $231,139
• Household median income (2020): $182,857

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 20.2%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 26.9%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $36,800
• Household median income (2023): $173,670
• Household median income (2020): $136,870

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 20.8%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 23.3%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $39,021
• Household median income (2023): $206,588
• Household median income (2020): $167,567

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 19.4%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 24.8%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $35,801
• Household median income (2023): $179,917
• Household median income (2020): $144,116

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 18.3%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 26%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $39,978 
• Household median income (2023): $193,904
• Household median income (2020): $153,926

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 17.3%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 26.7%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $46,405
• Household median income (2023): $220,408
• Household median income (2020): $174,003

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 19%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 23%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $43,594
• Household median income (2023): $233,333
• Household median income (2020): $189,739

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 15.5%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 29.1%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $39,822
• Household median income (2023): $176,822
• Household median income (2020): $137,000

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 17.6%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 23.9%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $33,976
• Household median income (2023): $176,350
• Household median income (2020): $142,374

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 16.1%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 25%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $36,619
• Household median income (2023): $186,250
• Household median income (2020): $149,631

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 18.4%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 18.6%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $30,311
• Household median income (2023): $193,633
• Household median income (2020): $163,322

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 17.5%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 17.9%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $30,013
• Household median income (2023): $197,358
• Household median income (2020): $167,345

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 18.3%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 15.9%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $25,517
• Household median income (2023): $186,206
• Household median income (2020): $160,689

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 17.1%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 18.2%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $34,253
• Household median income (2023): $222,393
• Household median income (2020): $188,140

Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed.

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.