Website Says Short Hills Ranks Sixth In Richest US Towns

SHORT HILLS, NJ - One in nearly 6 of the most affluent communities in the country are in New Jersey, according to the 2019 Bloomberg Richest Places rankings.

Number six on the overall list is Short Hills. Other towns in New Jersey saw shifts into the top 20 as Rumson, a wealthy Jersey Shore community that was once home to Bruce Springsteen and jumped 19 spots and into the top 20, according to the report. Bernardsville jumped 31 spots to No. 64.

Indeed, a majority of the country's richest communities are located in California, New Jersey and the New York City area, according to Bloomberg's annual richest places index. Atherton, California, located in Silicon Valley, tops the news organization's list as the richest town in America.

Atherton was No.1 on the list for the third year in a row, with an average household income of nearly $450,700. The No.2 community on the list was Scarsdale, New York, which has an average household income of $417,335.

According to Bloomberg, the top 100 towns on its list are located in just 16 states. California had the most among the top 100 (23), followed by New Jersey (18) and New York (13) (Reference the map titled "Uneven Color of Money" on the Bloomberg article to get the no. of communities in your state in the top 100).

Bloomberg listed the top 50 richest places on its website. Below are the New Jersey communities in the top 50:

6. Short Hills $367,491
19. Rumson $303,542
32. Upper Saddle River $271,700
39. Upper Montclair $263.035
47. North Caldwell $251,468
49. Glen Ridge $248,698

The top 10 richest places in the country are:

• Atherton, California
• Scarsdale, New York
• Cherry Hills Village, Colorado
• Los Altos Hills, California
• Hillsborough, California
• Short Hills, New Jersey
• Highland Park, Texas
• Darien, Connecticut
• Bronxville, New York
• Glencoe, Illinois

Bloomberg ranks communities based on average household income using the US Census data. The designated areas do not include any unincorporated areas, and households without any type of income were excluded.

Only towns with at least 2,000 households qualify as "places" for purposes of Bloomberg's ranking — excluding Kenilworth and its fewer than 900 homes.

(Photo courtesy of Patch archives)

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