One Midwest Town Makes America’s Richest Cities List, And It’s In Illinois

When you look at a list of the wealthiest cities in America and see only places from both coasts and nothing in the Midwest, you start to think.

Like "Is the Midwest not on par with the rest of the country when it comes to money?"

The Veranda study, a reputable source in the field of wealth distribution, released the 25 Richest Cities in America for 2024, providing concrete evidence of the disparity in wealth distribution across the country.

The text features Los Altos, California, as the richest in America, followed by University Park in Texas and McLean, Virginia, as two and three, respectively.

Scrolling through the list, you'll find more Texas, California, and a smattering of Massachusetts, Maryland, and Washington.

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New Jersey also makes a list, so you know what I'm saying.

It's a predictable pattern, a familiar sequence of names, until you reach #23. Suddenly, the landscape changes.

Wilmette, with an annual median household income of $173,967, just barely landed in the top 25, but it's there.

Veranda notes, "Up north is Wilmette, a suburb of Chicago situated on the western shore of Lake Michigan. Wilmette may not be the wealthiest city in America, but it's certainly one of the most educated, with an impressive 83.8 percent of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher."

Wilmette was the only city in Illinois and the only one in the entire Midwest to make the list of the wealthiest cities in America.

This is significant because it challenges the common perception that wealth is concentrated on the coasts, and it highlights the potential for economic growth and prosperity in the Midwest.