Where are the wealthiest suburbs in America? You might first assume the answer is New York City, Los Angeles, or Boston. You’d be partially right: a 2025 study from GOBankingRates ranked the wealthiest suburbs in America, and suburbs of those three cities are all prominently featured on the list. However, wealthy suburbs aren’t limited to the East and West Coasts. The GOBankingRates study shows that wealthy suburbs exist around the United States, including in the Midwest.
To compile its list, GOBankingRates looked at cities with at least 5,000 households and found the 50 with the highest average household income. Then, it looked at the 2024 typical home value and metro area to decide each suburb’s rank. In addition to the national list, it compiled regional lists, including a list of the 20 wealthiest suburbs in the Midwest. Within the Midwest, Illinois was home to more wealthy suburbs than any other state: nine of the top 20 wealthiest suburbs in the Midwest are in the Chicago area. Interested in learning more? Here’s a look at the five wealthiest suburbs in the Midwest.
5. Highland Park, Illinois
The North Shore Chicago suburb of Highland Park is the fifth-wealthiest in the Midwest, with an average household income of $247,484 and a typical home value of $805,393. Located about 40 minutes from Chicago by car, Highland Park was established in the 1860s and today has a population of around 31,000 people. In the ’80s, it had a moment in the spotlight as the setting for the John Hughes movies “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Weird Science.”
In addition to its wealth, Highland Park is known for its artsy environment; it’s home to America’s oldest music festival and has a lively downtown full of events. The Ravinia Festival is more like a seasonal concert series: each summer, the festival hosts over 100 different events in a variety of music genres, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. One of the suburb’s top landmarks is Rosewood Beach, a scenic beach on the shores of Lake Michigan. “This beach is small, clean, and beautiful,” writes one Tripadvisor reviewer. “You’ll forget that you’re even in Illinois!”
4. Leawood, Kansas
Leawood is the only place in Kansas to rank among the top 20 wealthiest suburbs in the Midwest. Leawood is a suburb of Kansas City; the average household income is $257,427, and the typical home value is $766,743. Leawood is about a 30-minute drive from Kansas City and has a population of around 34,000. Notable residents include football star (and Taylor Swift’s fiancé) Travis Kelce…