Richest Silicon Valley Neighborhoods – Enterprise Insider
With the wide assortment of top tech companies currently headquartered in Silicon Valley, it should come as no surprise that some of the country’s wealthiest people also call the area home.
Stephen Higley, a professor emeritus of urban social geography at the University of Montevallo, recently created a list of the country’s richest neighborhoods based on data from the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey in the years 2006 through 2010.
He aggregated block groups with a mean income of more than $200,000 to compile a list of the top 1,000 richest neighborhoods in the county. Higley explains his complete methodology on his website.
We used Higley’s rankings to compile a list of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Silicon Valley, looking at cities in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties to do so.
Hillsborough was well-represented, with several different neighborhoods from the affluent San Mateo County city making an appearance on Higley’s list. Small cities like Saratoga and Atherton, home to several notable tech executives, also ranked highly.
#22 San Mateo Park, San Mateo, San Mateo County
Mean Household Income: $257,972
731st richest neighborhood in the U.S.
This neighborhood is peaceful, with dozens of traffic circles in place to slow down cars on the city’s main thoroughfares.
It’s also extremely convenient, with shopping and dining less than a mile away on Burlingame Avenue, and access to freeways via El Camino Real.
San Mateo Park is 75.%5 white, 10.6% Asian, 7.0% Latino, and 0.9% black.
#21 Barron Park Southwest-Research Park, Palo Alto, Santa Clara County
Mean household income: $258,759
722nd richest neighborhood in the U.S.
This pastoral neighborhood provides a stark contrast to Stanford’s high-tech Research Park, located nearby.
You can even watch a pair of donkeys graze at the neighborhood’s Cornelis Bol Park. The two donkeys, named Perry and Niner, have become Barron Park’s unofficial mascots.
Barron Park Southwest-Research Park is 66.7% white, 22.6% Asian, 4.6% Latino, and 2.0% black.
#20 Woodland Acres-The Highlands, Los Altos, Santa Clara County
Mean Household Income: $260,289
696th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Built on land that used to be orchards and forests of oaks and laurel trees, Woodland Acres is a neighborhood that has retained its rustic feel.
The community is close-knit, but homes are pricey.
Woodland Acres-The Highlands is 66.7% white, 23.1% Asian, 4.9% Latino, and 0.3% black.
#19 East Los Gatos, Los Gatos, Santa Clara County
Mean household income: $262,396
662nd richest neighborhood in the U.S.
This is the quiet, suburban part of Los Gatos, an affluent city that counts Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak as a resident.
It’s known for being a very friendly and active community.
East Los Gatos is 78.7% white, 10.7% Asian, 4.5% Latino, and 0.4% black.
#18 Leland Manor, Palo Alto, Santa Clara County
Mean household income: $264,277
638th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
This is a small neighborhood, with a central location that’s ideal for access to schools and the town’s shopping districts.
A lot of young families live here, and wide sidewalks make it a pleasant place to stroll.
Leland Manor is 65.7% white, 25.4% Asian, 2.9% Latino, and 0.6% black.
#17 Professorville, Palo Alto, Santa Clara County
Mean household income: $268,064
602nd richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Professorville was created when in 1889 an area of land was reserved for a group of Stanford professors who wanted to own homes near campus. The neighborhood still has close ties to the university.
Professorville has a wide variety of historic homes, many of which have brown-shingled gambrel roofs.
Professorville is 76.0% white, 10.9% Asian, 5.2% Latino, and 1.2% black.
#16 Central Los Altos, Los Altos, Santa Clara County
Mean household income: $269,924
579th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
This charming neighborhood is friendly to pedestrians and known for its top-notch school district.
Most of the homes here are ranch-style houses from the 1950s, but some have been replaced with oversized mansions.
Central Los Altos is 63.7% white, 18.6% Asian, 3.9% Latino, and 0.5% black.
#15 West Fruitvale, Saratoga, Santa Clara County
Mean household income: $278,555
483rd richest neighborhood in the U.S.
West Fruitvale is located in the southwestern corner of Saratoga.
The Silicon Valley city is known for its wineries and upscale suburban feel.
West Fruitvale is 58.9% white, 32.4% Asian, 3.8% Latino, and 0.1% black.
#14 Hillsborough Knolls-Hillsborough Heights, Hillsborough, San Mateo County
Mean household income: $286,346
425th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
This is a relatively small neighborhood in Hillsborough that bridges the upper and lower parts of the city.
It’s a quiet, secluded area with a mixture of old and new homes.
Hillsborough Knolls-Hillsborough Heights is 71.6% white, 19.2% Asian, 3.1% Latino, and 0.8% black.
#13 Stanford, Santa Clara County
Mean household income: $293,830
368th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Most of Stanford University is considered part of the unincorporated area of Stanford, Calif., while other parts belong to Palo Alto.
Residents of Stanford include students and professors living on the university’s campus, either in official residences or historic homes from early in the 20th century.
Stanford is 72.3% white, 12.7% Asian, 7.3% Latino, and 1.7% black.
#12 Crescent Park, Palo Alto, Santa Clara County
Mean household income: $295,381
353rd richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Crescent Park is close to the hustle and bustle of University Avenue, but it still feels exclusive.
In 2011, Mark Zuckerberg paid $7 million for a 5,000-square-foot home in this pricey Palo Alto neighborhood. Two years later, in a much-talked-about move, he paid more than $30 million for the four properties next to and behind his house.
Crescent Park is 74.5% white, 16.2% Asian, 3.5% Latino, and 1.1% black.
#11 Portola Valley, San Mateo County
Mean household income: $296,255
349th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Portola Valley is a picturesque town — with heavily wooded streets and an extensive nature trail system, living here is like being out in the country.
Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and Oracle co-founder Ed Oates are among this hilly town’s most notable residents.
Portola Valley is 88.2% white, 5.6% Asian, 4.0% Latino, and 0.3% black.
#10 Homeplace-Hillsborough Knolls, Hillsborough, San Mateo County
Mean household income: $300,127
325th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Homeplace is known by some Silicon Valley realtors as “the heart of lower Hillsborough.”
There’s a wide variety of houses here, from 1950s ranch-style homes to Tudor and chateau-inspired mansions.
Homeplace-Hillsborough Knolls is 57.6% white, 32.6% Asian, 3.5% Latino, and 0.1% black.
#9 Parrot Drive Area, Hillsborough, San Mateo County
Mean household income: $303,189
310th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Spectacular Bay views are the hallmark of this wealthy neighborhood, which for the most part is made up of dramatic hills that separate it from the main part of town.
Ranch houses dating to the 1950s and 1960s are common here.
Parrot Drive Area is 51.9% white, 39.6% Asian, 3.6% Latino, and 0.2% black.
#8 Woodside, San Mateo County
Mean household income: $316,019
244th most expensive neighborhood in the U.S.
Woodside has long been home to wealthy venture capitalists and tech entrepreneurs, in part because its secluded hillside location offers residents a good amount of privacy. Larry Ellison’s lavish Japanese estate is located here, as is Steve Jobs’ historic mansion.
According to an index created by Coldwell Banker Previews International Realty, Woodside is the hottest luxury real estate market in the entire country.
Woodside is 86.1% white, 6.3% Asian, 4.6% Latino, and 0.4% black.
#7 Skyfarm-Carolands, Hillsborough, San Mateo County
Mean household income: $328,599
198th most expensive neighborhood in the U.S.
Bordered by the Burlingame Country Club and the Crystal Springs Golf Course, Skyfarm is a lush neighborhood in a city known for its secluded nature.
Most of the homes here have been upgraded from their original models, with prices landing on the high end of the spectrum for Hillsborough. The Caroland Chateau is one of the largest private residences ever built, dating back to 1914.
Skyfarm-Carolands is 57.1% white, 34.0% Asian, 3.2% Latino, and 0.2% black.
#6 Menlo Park Central, Menlo Park, San Mateo County
Mean household income: $333,990
173rd richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Menlo Park has figured prominently in tech lore — Google’s first non-dorm offices were in Susan Wojcicki’s garage in this city, and a cluster of prominent venture capital firms are headquartered on Sand Hill Road here. Facebook moved into headquarters in Menlo Park in 2011, and Sheryl Sandberg recently built a modern home with a waterfall and living roof nearby.
Menlo Park Central is where many of the city’s most expensive homes are located.
Menlo Park Central is 84.2% white, 7.3% Asian, 3.8% Latino, and 0.1% black.
#5 Los Altos Hills, Santa Clara County
Mean household income: $338,932
155th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
This hilly town is small and sleepy, with a population of 8,200 and no main downtown area.
Still, it’s been the site of some blockbuster real estate deals — in 2011, Russian investor Yuri Milner paid $100 million for a 25,000-square-foot mansion here, and banker Kelly Porter is now selling his Tudor-style mansion — complete with speakeasy and ballroom — for $27 million.
Los Altos Hills is 66.1% white, 26.6% Asian, 2.7% Latino, and 0.5% black.
#4 Atherton, San Mateo County
Mean household income: $340,915
151st richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Atherton is a haven for the wealthy, with multimillionaires like Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman, former Apple executive Ron Johnson, and venture capitalists Guy Kawasaki and Tim Draper all calling the city home.
It was named the 10th hottest luxury real estate market in the U.S. by Coldwell Banker.
Atherton is 78.2% white, 13.2% Asian, 3.9% Latino, and 1.0% black.
#3 Hillsborough Oaksbridge-Ryan Tract, Hillsborough, San Mateo County
Mean household income: $439,682
31st richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Many of the town’s grand original estates can be found in this neighborhood — Newhall Manor, a home dating back to 1897, was recently on the market for $5.9 million.
This highly desirable neighborhood is also near the shopping and dining of Burlingame Avenue as well as the area’s lively Broadway district.
Hillsborough Oaksbridge and Ryan Tract are 76.2% white, 16.6% Asian, 3.1% Latino, and 0.8% black.
#2 Fruitvale, Saratoga, Santa Clara County
Mean household income: $451,448
29th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
Also known as Sobey Road, Fruitvale is a highly affluent neighborhood in a highly affluent city.
Saratoga is regularly ranked among the best-educated cities in California, in addition to being one of the state’s wealthiest communities.
Fruitvale is 67.2% white, 25.6% Asian, 2.7% Latino, and 0.5% black.
#1 Hillsborough Heights-Brewer Subdivision, Hillsborough, San Mateo County
Mean household income: $519,024
13th richest neighborhood in the U.S.
This quiet neighborhood and its tree-lined streets are where you can find some of the oldest and most stately homes of ultra-pricey Hillsborough.
The location is also convenient, located within walking distance of the restaurants and shops of downtown San Mateo.
Hillsborough Heights-Brewer Subdivision is 70.5% white, 12.8% Asian, 2.1% Latino, and 0.4% black.
Now see where their residents like to hang out.