You Won’t Believe How Much Richer the Upper Class Is Getting in These East Coast Cities

The East Coast has long been viewed as a region of the United States where the upper class not only resides, but continually builds wealth. Over time, and largely due to inherited wealth through trusts and estates, the upper class has proven its ability to keep getting richer across East Coast cities. 

A recent study by GOBankingRates looked at the top 50 cities where the upper class is getting richer. Here, we pulled the 21 East Coast cities that ranked in the top 50. Of these cities, nine are based in Massachusetts — the most out of any East Coast state.

Take a look at the 21 East Coast cities where the upper class is building wealth.

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 23.6%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 39.4%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $56,262
• Household median income (2023): $199,107
• Household median income (2020): $142,845

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 21.2%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 34.4%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $54,377
• Household median income (2023): $212,700
• Household median income (2020): $158,323

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 22.4%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 26.1%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $45,118
• Household median income (2023): $218,176
• Household median income (2020): $173,058

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 23.1%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 24.5%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $32,210
• Household median income (2023): $163,725
• Household median income (2020): $131,515

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 22%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 26%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $37,986
• Household median income (2023): $184,113
• Household median income (2020): $146,127

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 22.6%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 22.8%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $30,077
• Household median income (2023): $162,066
• Household median income (2020): $131,989

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 20.6%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 26.8%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $37,688
• Household median income (2023): $178,188
• Household median income (2020): $140,500

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 20%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 26.1%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $49,476
• Household median income (2023): $239,205
• Household median income (2020): $189,729

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 18.2%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 29.2%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $38,630
• Household median income (2023): $171,045
• Household median income (2020): $132,415

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 19%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 26.3%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $34,566
• Household median income (2023): $165,859
• Household median income (2020): $131,293

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 23.7%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 15.3%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $23,505
• Household median income (2023): $176,943
• Household median income (2020): $153,438

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 18.3%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 26.2%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $37,003
• Household median income (2023): $178,053
• Household median income (2020): $141,050

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 20.8%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 19.8%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $30,591
• Household median income (2023): $184,989
• Household median income (2020): $154,398

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 20.6%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 18.5%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $28,909
• Household median income (2023): $185,531
• Household median income (2020): $156,622

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 18%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 21.5%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $37,534
• Household median income (2023): $212,241
• Household median income (2020): $174,707

• % 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): 19%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 17%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $36,316
• Household median income (2023): $250,000
• Household median income (2020): $213,684

• % change in households with incomes of $200K+ (2020 to 2023): 16.1%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 21.4%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $38,292
• Household median income (2023): $217,250
• Household median income (2020): $178,958

• % 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): 16.8%
• % change in household median income (2020 to 2023): 18.2%
• $ change in household median income (2020 to 2023): $33,716
• Household median income (2023): $219,402
• Household median income (2020): $185,686

Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates first took the 71 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.