Where will you find the most money in Washington state? 

Washington state has become the home of a lot of big businesses and because of that. There are a lot of wealthy people living in Washington state. The question arises, where in Washington state are they living? Are they all gathering together or are they spread out? My initial knee jerk answer would have been Redmond (Microsoft, you know.) But that is not the case. 

Well, inquiring minds want to know. And thanks to the 2023 census and some other interesting research by Forbes magazine. We now have the answers. 

According to Forbes.com.
‘This study analyzed 642 cities in Washington with complete data from the Census Bureau, in terms of their median household income, mean (average) household income, median home value, and median property taxes paid per year, to come up with a list of the 50 richest cities in the state.’ 

First off, to satisfy my curiosity, I looked up Redmond. They don't even show up on the list until number18. 

So, let's take a look at the top five on this list. And ask yourself, do you even recognize any of these towns? (I know I don't.) 

First off, we start with. Town number 5. Beaux Arts Village. 

My first comment is, is this a town or a neighborhood with Total households of 96 as of 2023. According to. beauxarts-wa.gov  It is, in fact, a town. Sighted on Lake Washington with a great view of Mercer Island. They even have their own newsletter.  

number 4 is Yarrow Point, Total households 433. (sorry, no photo) 

also located on Lake Washington. According to their website. Yarrowpointwa.gov Among other things, they have a nature preserve.
‘What surprises new visitors are the Preserve's number of trails and its size, and also the variety of bird life. Waterfront vistas across Cozy Cove sparkle in the sunshine. A kingfisher sometimes chatters from the water's edge or an eagle will land in the lily pads, dipping its wings for a bath. The Preserve offers surprises at any time of the year, but bird life prevails especially in the springtime.’ 

Number 3 On the list is Medina. (Ohh I've heard of this place.) Total households. 1,027. 

According to their website. medina-wa.gov
‘Incorporated on August 19, 1955, Medina is located on the shores of Lake Washington. Medina is a beautiful and sophisticated community conveniently positioned between Bellevue and Seattle.’  

Also, their website disputes the population numbers that Forbes lists from 2023. 

Right next door to Medina. Is number 2 on our list Clyde Hill with 1,156 households. 

according to clydehill.org,
‘September 29, 1882, Patrick Downey, an Irish immigrant, homesteaded a 160-acre tract of land on the southern slope of Clyde Hill. He was the first known settler in present-day Clyde Hill. Downey's tract was bounded by NE 8th Street on the south, 92nd Avenue NE on the west, NE 16th Street on the north, and 100th Avenue NE on the east.’ 

And finally, our #1 richest town in Washington state. Hunts Point. With 136 households. 

According to huntspoint.wa.gov.
‘Incorporated in 1955, the Town of Hunts Point is located on the eastern shore of Lake Washington just north of the SR520 bridge.  Once a camping ground for the Sammamish Indian tribe, this residential community of single-family residences is home to just over 400 residents.’ 

All of the locations on the list on this list are on or near Lake Washington and causes me to think of an older “shirt tail” relative of mine whose father back in the day had a logging company in Everett (This was prewar), and for a brief period of time, he owned Mercer Island, (yeah, really) logged it off, and thought who would ever want this property and let it go for taxes? 

The 50 Wealthiest Cities In Washington State, From The Latest Census Data (forbes.com)
Richest Cities in WA Forbes.csv (sharepoint.com)
2023 (census.gov)