N
ew research from GOBankingRates shows that the wealthiest, most youthful professionals in the U.S. are gravitating toward the Northeast rather than Silicon Valley. The study examined towns with the highest concentration of residents in their 30s and 40s, using Census Reporter data on median age, household income, and owner‑occupied home values. Five of the top ten locales are New York‑area commuter towns.

    In Chappaqua, New York, the median household income tops $220,000 and the median home value is $740,000. Short Hills, New Jersey, the only New Jersey town on the list, has a median age of 40.9, an income of $250,000, and homes valued at $1.6 million. Located in Essex County’s Millburn, it lies just 40 minutes from midtown Manhattan and attracts financiers and other white‑collar workers with young families.

    Other New York suburbs on the list include Munsey Park and Laurel Hollow on Long Island, and Scarsdale and Chappaqua in Westchester. Chappaqua’s residents average 45.8 years, with the same income and home‑value figures as noted earlier.

    The study also highlighted two Houston neighborhoods—Southside Place and West University Place—and Chicago’s Winnetka. California’s representation came from Ladera Ranch in Orange County and Camino Tassajara in the Bay Area, both boasting significant numbers of affluent young residents, yet none from Silicon Valley.