West University Place ranks in the top three wealthiest U.S. suburbs with near $1M homes.
HOUSTON — West University Place is now ranked as one of the top three wealthiest suburbs in the United States, according to a new analysis released Wednesday by GOBankingRates.
The report, which examined the latest publicly available U.S. Census and Zillow data, found that households in West University Place earn an average income of about $410,000 per year.
The Houston area was listed alongside other high-income communities across the country in GOBankingRates’ second annual study of America’s Wealthiest Suburbs.
Suburbs were ranked solely based on average household income, with additional data on average home values provided for context.
Some of the key findings in the study include:
- For the second year in a row, Scarsdale is America’s wealthiest suburb. The suburb’s household mean income for 2022 was $588,014 (adjusted for 2023 inflation) and $601,193 for 2023, increasing by 2.2% over one year.
- Five Texas suburbs ranked in the top 50, with three in the top 10:
West University Place (#3), University Park (#6), Southlake (#7), Bellaire (#23), and Colleyville (#47). - This year’s 10 wealthiest suburbs featured just two new suburbs:
Alamo, California (#5) and Southlake, Texas (#7). In 2024, Southlake ranked 13th, but Alamo didn’t rank in the top 50 at all. - The top 50 includes six new suburbs:
Alamo, California (#5); Coto de Caza, California (#22); Lake Butler, Florida (#40); Colleyville, Texas (#47); Newton, Massachusetts (#49); and Brentwood, Tennessee (#50). - For the second year running, California has the most wealthy suburbs in the top 50. The total for 2025 is 17, up from 16 in 2024. The five most expensive California suburbs are:
Los Altos ($403,512), Alamo ($403,334), Orinda ($369,073), Palos Verdes Estates ($367,178), and Saratoga ($344,319).
The study also found additional statistics for the Houston metro area:
- The average home value rose nearly 5% between 2024 and 2025, reaching $982,834.
- Despite the increase in property values, average household income dipped slightly from $417,000 to $410,000 between 2022 and 2023.
- Bellaire, another affluent suburb near Houston, also made the list, ranking among the top 25, with an average income of $311,000.
The full report, including methodology and an interactive map, is available at GOBankingRates.