Based on local home values and the cost of living, GOBankingRates has determined the exact annual income that a household would need to live comfortably in the country’s most affluent neighborhoods. The study assumes that a household’s spending follows the “50-30-20” rule – that half will be spent on necessities, 20% will go to savings, and 30% will be left for discretionary purchases.
Under this rule, the nation’s most expensive zip code is Sagaponack, New York, an affluent beachfront town in the Hamptons, which requires a yearly income of at least $853,758. Beverly Hills, California comes in second at $692,388, and Alpine, New Jersey comes in third at $499,244. The lowest required income in the top ten is $288,004 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Not ready to move? To be counted among the 1 percent, regardless of where you live, you need to have an adjusted gross income of at least $480,930, according to the latest data from the Internal Revenue Service, which looked at income statistics for tax year 2015.
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