These Are New England's 5 Wealthiest Suburbs, According To Research

New England has a reputation for old money, evident in wealthy suburbs, famous family legacies, and Harvard or Yale diplomas. A 2025 study compiled by personal finance resource Go Banking Rates ranked America's 50 wealthiest suburbs, and revealed that the richest suburb in the country is Scarsdale, New York. 

Plenty of New England suburbs made the list, too. Additionally, the list shows that the East Coast has more of the top wealthy towns than the West Coast, with the East Coast claiming 23 spots and the West Coast claiming just 19. The study was based on the average household income and typical home value of cities with 5,000 or more households in 2024. 

Of the six states in New England, Massachusetts had the most spots on the top-50 list, followed by Connecticut. In 2025, U.S. News ranked Massachusetts as the wealthiest state in America, based on median household income. For Massachusetts, the median was just under $100,000, while Connecticut was named the tenth-wealthiest state, and New Hampshire was fourth. We've broken down the numbers even more to compile a countdown of the five wealthiest suburbs in New England.

The first New England spot on the list is Needham, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb known for its historic architecture and thriving foodie scene. Needham is the 42nd-wealthiest suburb in the U.S., with an average household income of $267,951 and a typical home value of $1,541,698. The riverside town is about 30 minutes from Boston via car or MBTA rail, making it a popular home base for commuters and their families.

Colonists began living in Needham in the 1640s, and the area was officially incorporated in 1711. There are several historic houses in the area remaining from this period, but many have been upgraded and are on private land. The 1707 Robert Fuller House, which retains its original appearance, can be seen but is a private residence. But you can walk across a different type of historic landmark: Echo Bridge, which was completed in 1877. Along with scenic views of the Charles River, the bridge has a unique echo effect inside its arch.

Greenwich, Connecticut, is the fourth-wealthiest suburb in New England and the 39th-wealthiest suburb in the United States. Here, the average household income is $276,350, and a typical home value is $2,345,511. Greenwich is a southern Connecticut town with chic restaurants and scenic beaches, about an hour away from New York City via car or Metro-North rail. CT Insider reports that in 2022, around 4,700 people commuted from Greenwich to New York City — a substantial segment of the population, which numbered just over 63,000 in the 2020 census. Although Greenwich is one of New England's wealthiest suburbs, the town also has a significant wealth divide: In 2022, about a third of the city's population was living below the federal poverty level. 

Like Needham, Greenwich is an old city. Colonists began settling there in the 1640s. During the Revolutionary War, Greenwich was a garrison town. Visitors can schedule a tour of Putnam Cottage, a 16th-century building with a unique history. It was built as a home for the Knapp family in the late 1600s and later became Knapp's Tavern. During the Revolutionary War, American General Israel Putnam briefly stayed there, and George Washington came by for lunch. "The house was beautifully decorated and took me back to the 1700s with no time travel necessary!" writes one Tripadvisor reviewer.

Coming in at number three in New England and number 35 in the United States is Lexington, Massachusetts, another wealthy suburb of Boston. Lexington is just 30 minutes from Boston by car or about 45 minutes by train, with an average household income of $281,187 and a typical home value of $1,641,388. The Lexington Observer's analysis of a decade's worth of census data shows that Lexington's median annual household income is more than double the annual income in the state of Massachusetts and the United States as a whole, and the number of households with incomes exceeding $200,000 grew by 75% between 2012 and 2022. The outlet also reported that in 2025, over half of Lexington's homes were at least $1 million in value.

Lexington is rich in history as well as dollars. Colonial settlers arrived in 1642, and Lexington was incorporated as a town in 1713. Paul Revere rode to Lexington on his famous ride in 1775, followed by the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Visitors can see a piece of history in the Hancock-Clarke House. It was originally built in 1737 for John Hancock I, the grandfather of John Hancock, who signed the Declaration of Independence. When Paul Revere took his famous midnight ride, he came to the Hancock-Clarke House to tell John Hancock and Sam Adams, who were guests at the house, that "the Regulars are coming out" (not "the British are coming," as is commonly quoted).

Another Boston suburb takes the second spot among New England's wealthiest suburbs and the 31st spot nationwide. Winchester has an average household income of $283,632 and a typical home value of $1,639,942, according to Go Banking Rates. Residents can reach Boston via car or commuter rail in about 20 minutes. Winchester, along with Wellesley, Wayland, Weston, and Westwood, are known as the "5 W towns," valued for their proximity to Boston, high education spending, and low crime rates.

Like the other New England suburbs on this list, Winchester has a substantial place in American history. Colonists settled here in 1638; the area was incorporated as part of the town of Woburn in 1642, and later became the town of Winchester in 1850. Today, one of Winchester's top attractions is the Griffin Museum of Photography, an acclaimed photography museum that opened in 1992. "Griffin Museum of Photography is a hidden gem in Winchester," writes one Tripadvisor reviewer. "The curated photography shows are excellent. It is worth a drive out from the city."

Wellesley, Massachusetts, is the wealthiest suburb in New England and the 10th-wealthiest suburb in the United States. The average household income is $367,801, and the typical home value is $1,979,339. Like Winchester, Lexington, and Needham, Wellesley is a suburb of Boston. It's about a 35-minute drive or commuter rail ride into the city. Go Banking Rates also named Wellesley (and every other Boston suburb on this list) as one of the top 50 cities where the rich are getting richer. In Wellesley, households with incomes of $200,000 or more saw a 19% increase in wealth from 2020 to 2023.

Wellesley is home to the prestigious Wellesley College, a women's college founded in 1870. Today, the college has an undergraduate enrollment of about 2,400. Visitors are welcome to stroll around the 500-acre campus, including part of the area around Lake Waban. The Davis Museum and the botanical gardens are also open to the public. One Tripadvisor reviewer calls the Davis Museum "Just what a college museum should be ... a real learning experience for anyone."