The 9 US cities with the most billionaires, from famous glitzy locales to newer hot spots for ultrarich residents
Dan Latu
- The US is home to 770 billionaires, according to London-based consulting firm Henley & Partners.
- The firm tracks where global millionaires and billionaires, or high-net-worth individuals, live.
About 770 billionaires live in the United States, according to a new report on the world's wealthiest cities from London-based consulting firm Henley & Partners.
There are just a handful of cities they love to call home — or at least park their private jets when they're in town.
Three of the four biggest clusters of billionaires in the world are classic US destinations for the uberwealthy: New York City, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area, which includes the neighboring tech hubs of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Nearly 163 billionaires reside in those three hot spots alone.
Some of America's richest residents, though, choose quieter cities for their home bases.
Comparably smaller Seattle, Washington boasts 10 billionaire residents, while Boston, Massachusetts claims eight.
And one of America's fastest-growing cities — Austin, Texas — has emerged as a relatively new billionaire hot spot, counting nine as residents. Henley & Partners said that "no state income tax and ample space" helps make the Texas capital a prime destination, especially as tech titans like Elon Musk descend on the city.
Check out the full list of the US cities where the most billionaires live.
9. Boston, Massachusetts
The CEO of biotech and vaccine giant Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, and founder of online furniture company Wayfair, Niraj Shah, reside in Beantown, according to Boston Magazine.
Population: 675,647
Number of billionaires: 8
Number of high-net-worth individuals with wealth over $1 million: 41,700
Increase in millionaires and billionaires from 2012 to 2022: 50%
8. Austin, Texas
Electric-car billionaire Elon Musk, who is a recent transplant to the Texas capital, said on a podcast that his new hometown will be "the biggest boomtown America has seen in 50 years."
Population: 961,855
Number of billionaires: 9
Number of high-net-worth individuals with wealth over $1 million: 30, 500
Increase in millionaires and billionaires from 2012 to 2022: 102%
7. Seattle, Washington
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz calls the "Rainy City" home.
Population: 737,015
Number of billionaires: 10
Number of high-net-worth individuals with wealth over $1 million: 50,500
Increase in millionaires and billionaires from 2012 to 2022: 68%
6. Miami, Florida
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida as a whole — and Miami in particular — lured finance and tech elites away from worse weather and higher taxes in northern cities. Take billionaire hedge-funder Ken Griffin, who moved himself and his hedge fund Citadel to the Magic City from Chicago.
Population: 442,241
Number of billionaires: 12
Number of high-net-worth individuals with wealth over $1 million: 38,000
Increase in millionaires and billionaires from 2012 to 2022: 75%
5. Houston, Texas
People with fortunes buoyed by oil and pipeline companies, including Jeffery Hildebrand and Richard Kinder, dominate Houston's billionaire scene, according to the Houston ABC affiliate.
Population: 2,304,580
Number of billionaires: 20
Number of high-net-worth individuals with wealth over $1 million: 98,500
Increase in millionaires and billionaires from 2012 to 2022: 65%
4. Chicago, Illinois
The chairman of Hyatt Hotels, Thomas J. Pritzker, and a grandson of the Walmart founder, Lukas Walton, call the Windy City home, according to Chicago TV station WGN.
Population: 2,746,388
Number of billionaires: 24
Number of high-net-worth individuals with wealth over $1 million: 124,000
Increase in millionaires and billionaires from 2012 to 2022: 24%
3. Los Angeles, California
California is home to the most billionaires — not just in the US, but in the world, according to Forbes. Los Angeles, in particular, is a hot spot. Some billionaires there have names that light up Hollywood marquees, like director Steven Spielberg. Others prefer to fly under the radar, like reclusive In-N-Out heiress Lyndsi Snyder.
Population: 10,014,009
Number of billionaires: 42
Number of high-net-worth individuals with wealth over $1 million: 205,400
Increase in millionaires and billionaires from 2012 to 2022: 35%
2. New York City
Former mayor and one-time presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwartzman are two notable billionaire New Yorkers.
Population: 8,804,190
Number of billionaires: 58
Number of high-net-worth individuals with wealth over $1 million: 340,000
Increase in millionaires and billionaires from 2012 to 2022: 40%
1. The Bay Area, made up of San Francisco and Silicon Valley
Tech's explosion has made San Francisco and nearby Silicon Valley the largest cluster of billionaires in the US and the world. Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet's Larry Page, and Airbnb's Brian Chesky all call the region home.
Population: 7.7 million, according to the San Francisco Chronicle
Number of billionaires: 63
Number of high-net-worth individuals with wealth over $1 million: 285,000
Increase in millionaires and billionaires from 2012 to 2022: 68%
All population data is from the US Census' 2020 survey except where otherwise noted.
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