What Is the Wealthiest Suburb in Texas? 2026 Rankings
Short answer: West University Place ranks highest by mean household income in the 2026 compilation that uses 2023 ACS figures compiled by GoBankingRates. The ACS mean household income for West University Place is about $409,677, and Zillow market snapshots put a typical home near $983,000 while public Census medians are top-coded at $250,001. Mean income tells one story, so combine mean, median and home-value data for a fuller view before buying, selling or investing.
Different analyses produce different “richest suburbs in Texas” lists because a handful of ultra-high earners can lift the mean and public medians are often capped. The GoBankingRates compilation using ACS 2023 data places West University Place at the top by mean income, though alternate samples or adjustments can put Westlake or other suburbs ahead. Below we explain the data and filters, summarize the top tier and show how to use these rankings when relocating, selling or investing.
Key takeaways
Top suburb: West University Place ranks highest by mean household income, about $409,677, with typical home values near $983,000.
Mean vs. median: A few very high earners can inflate the mean while public medians are often top-coded at $250,001, so medians and home values show typical affordability better.
Methodology matters: This piece uses ACS 2023 estimates and Zillow snapshots, but sample size, cutoffs and adjustments change rankings across publications.
How to use it: Treat the Top-20 as a shortlist and confirm local comps, school ratings, taxes and inventory for any suburb you consider.
Immediate action: Pull three recent sold comps, verify the suburb’s median income and tax math, then consult a vetted local agent for a market read.
Quick answer: who tops the list and why it matters
Mean household income (ACS 2023 via GoBankingRates): ≈ $409,677 for West University Place.
Typical home value (Zillow snapshot): ≈ $983,000 for West University Place.
Census median household income in public tables: often top-coded at $250,001; local or proprietary analyses may report higher true medians.
How the ranking works: data, filters and methodology caveats
Numbers depend on the method used. The ranking draws primarily on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates, Zillow home-value snapshots for property context and a GoBankingRates synthesis published in 2025. Analysts sometimes use different ACS vintages, inflation adjustments or household cutoffs, so lists can differ; always check whether figures are nominal 2023 dollars or adjusted for inflation. Where possible, we flag whether a suburb’s average is a straight ACS mean or a Census-weighted estimate with a margin of error, see the DataUSA profile for West University Place for a detailed breakdown of ACS indicators.
Choice of metric changes the outcome. The mean highlights concentrated wealth and appeals to investors targeting high-net-worth pockets, while the median shows the typical household and is better for relocators focused on everyday affordability.
This analysis applies a 5,000-household minimum, excludes principal cities and focuses on MSA boundaries, filters that favor small exclusive enclaves and can omit tiny wealthy towns or large suburbs that are technically principal cities. Keep these filters in mind when you use the Top-20 shortlist below.
Top 20 suburbs by wealth: ranked list and quick takeaways
Here are the highest-ranked suburbs by mean household income in the compiled dataset, followed by grouped observations for the remainder of the Top-20. Use this as a starting shortlist and confirm local market details before making decisions.
West University Place (Houston area)
University Park (Dallas area)
Highland Park (Dallas area)
Southlake (DFW)
Bellaire (Houston area)
Westlake (Fort Worth/DFW area)
Colleyville (DFW)
Piney Point Village (Houston area)
Bunker Hill Village (Houston area)
Hunters Creek Village (Houston area)
The Woodlands (Houston MSA)
West Lake Hills (Austin area)
Rollingwood (Austin area)
Lakeway (Austin/Lake Travis area)
Shavano Park (San Antonio area)
Alamo Heights (San Antonio area)
Fair Oaks Ranch (San Antonio area)
Trophy Club (DFW)
Prosper (DFW)
Celina (DFW)
Ranks 6–10 include suburbs that shift position depending on methodology, such as Colleyville, which averages around $265,831 in some samples, and Westlake when alternate samples or proprietary adjustments are used.
Ranks 11–20 often feature high-growth bedroom communities like Celina and Prosper, where newer construction and larger homes give more square footage for the money than inner-city elite suburbs. Cross-check multiple datasets, local comps and tax and school data before assigning a suburb a final rank in your decision process. Local coverage such as KHOU’s article on the wealthiest suburbs can provide helpful local context and reporting on those shifts.
Compare the leaders: income, home values, taxes, schools and lifestyle
Income and home values tell different stories among the top suburbs. A high mean household income can come from a few multi-million-dollar estates or from a broad base of well-paid households living in modest homes, and each pattern affects resale dynamics and development pressure. Look at price per square foot, lot sizes and the pace of new construction to see which pattern applies.
Taxes and school quality shape affordability and long-term resale more than headline income figures. Check effective tax rates on county assessor sites and district performance on the Texas Education Agency A–F accountability ratings and GreatSchools, and compare typical annual tax bills rather than only the headline rate. That gives a clearer view of the real cost of ownership.
Lifestyle and commute time change desirability fast, so map amenities before you commit. Walkability, proximity to major medical centers or airports and private-school access often tip buyer demand toward certain suburbs, for example West University Place’s short commute to the Texas Medical Center, and Southlake or Highland Park’s access to private schools.
Use these practical checks when weighing suburbs. Compare effective tax rate plus typical annual tax bill using county assessor data. Review school ratings and enrollment trends on TEA and GreatSchools, prioritizing stability over short-term spikes. Map commute times, hospitals and retail nodes for a realistic daily-life snapshot.
Those checks reveal costs and tradeoffs that income figures alone will not expose.
How to use this ranking if you’re moving or investing
Treat the ranking as a short list, not a final decision. For relocation, verify median household size and school ratings, check commute times and neighborhood amenities, confirm property tax math for the specific municipality and pull comps for any street you like.
Follow a 30/60/90 plan: 30 days to research and narrow to three picks, 60 days for tours and inspections, and 90 days for offers and financing. Adjust the timeline based on inventory and your financing needs.
Investors face different tradeoffs. Ultra-high average incomes often mean lower rental yields but stronger long-term appreciation and higher tenant quality, so model liquidity risk alongside yield. Project cap rate, cash-on-cash return, five-year price-per-square-foot growth scenarios and days-on-market sensitivity for the specific suburb.
What is the wealthiest suburb in Texas: final takeaways
West University Place tops this ranking by mean household income in the compiled dataset.
Concentrated wealth shapes school funding, local services and long-term housing demand, but rank alone does not guarantee lifestyle fit or future growth potential.
Two practical rules: check the sources and metrics before trusting any Top-20 list, and pair rankings with local comps, inventory, taxes and school data when making decisions. Start by choosing one suburb from the Top-20, pulling its median household income and three recent sold comps from your county recorder or Zillow, then ask a vetted local agent for a fast market read. You can also reference the Realtor.com market snapshot for West University Place for local listings and recent sales to begin that process.
Website: https://chrispesek.com, Email: chris@drippingspringshometeam.com, Phone: 512-736-1703, Chris Pesek is a Texas Hill Country Realtor specializing in land, acreage, and custom homes. 383+ sales. Top 2 Percent Producer. 63 five-star reviews., Texas Hill Country, Central Texas, San Antonio