Thomas F. DiLullo & Associates

America’s Most Luxurious Cities to Live In (2025 Edition)

Is luxury just a synonym for wealth, or has it morphed into something else during the past couple of decades?

Our study suggests that luxury now leans into what’s available to you and how easily you can access it. It’s not the penthouse that sits empty 11 months a year. It’s fine dining on a Tuesday. A private school within walking distance. A facialist who books out six months in advance.

We looked at the 100 largest U.S. cities and ranked them based on what high-end living looks like in 2025. The ranking spans seven pillars of luxury, from elite private schools to high-end retail, cultural amenities, and more.

When luxury is measured per resident, not just in raw numbers, the picture shifts. Some results are expected. Others—like Jersey City taking the top spot—might raise an eyebrow.

This report reveals where the money is, where it moves, and where it lives well in the U.S.

Luxury living isn't confined to the coasts, but the map makes one thing clear: proximity to major urban centers and concentrated affluence still play a major role.

From the West Coast’s cluster of high-income hubs to rising East Coast enclaves, patterns begin to emerge.California is home to several standouts, including San Francisco, Irvine, and San Jose. Each blends wealth with access to the finer things in life.

On the East Coast, cities like Jersey City and Boston score high for their cultural density and upscale lifestyle offerings, even when compared to nearby giants like New York City.Further south, Miami and Atlanta push into the top ranks thanks to strong scores in fashion, entertainment, and wellness. Cities like Las Vegas and Scottsdale bring nightlife and luxury gyms into focus.This national snapshot challenges old assumptions.

Key Takeaways at a Glance

Jersey City ranks as the most luxurious city in the U.S. for 2025, driven by its proximity to Manhattan and a high concentration of upscale amenities relative to its size.
California cities dominate the top of the list, with eight making the top 20, thanks to strong showings in wealth, real estate, and lifestyle offerings.
New York City leads the nation in fine dining, with the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants, at 365. But Jersey City ranks first in this category, with more stars per capita.
San Jose takes top spot for luxury real estate and affluence, leading the country in GDP, median wage, and beautiful homes per capita.
Entertainment and culture are no longer confined to coastal hubs. Boston ranks second in this category, coming in after Jersey City.
Fashion and beauty are dominated by Jersey City, but following closely in both categories treads Santa Ana. After it, come Dallas and Newark.
New York City ranks first in education and elite schools, followed by St. Louis, Missouri.
Smaller cities often outperform larger ones when luxury is measured on a per capita basis, proving that exclusivity doesn't always require scale.

The Top 10 Cities for Luxury Living

The cities that lead this year’s ranking don’t all fit the same mold. Some are expected names. Dense, wealthy, and globally connected. Others are smaller, more focused, and stand out because of what they offer per resident.So let’s take a look at the top 10 in detail.

10 Los Angeles, CA

Our tenth place brings volume. Luxury gyms, med spas, five-star hotels, and an endless stream of fashion launches and influencer activations.

With top scores in beauty and fashion access (38th and 11th, respectively), the City of Angels is built around personal branding and personal trainers. But there’s also a steady infrastructure behind the gloss. Neighborhood farmers’ markets with $15 tomatoes, members-only clubs like San Vicente Bungalows, and retail zones like Melrose Place blur the line between private and public space.

It’s hard to imagine LA ranking anywhere that’s not close to the top when it comes to entertainment. But even with a raging nightlife and more than 800 casinos, the city’s lack of operas, car shows, and boat shows means it ranks 67th in this category.

9 Washington, DC

Ninth overall, the U.S.’s very own capital city has a strong showing in nearly every category, but especially in real estate and education.

It scores 15th in the share of million-dollar homes, driven by demand in neighborhoods like Georgetown, Capitol Hill, and Kalorama, where embassy residences sit next to townhouses with wine cellars and private elevators.

D.C. also performs well in cultural access, with more than 75 museums and institutions like the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, and the National Gallery of Art contributing to its score. This helped it earn 13th place overall in entertainment and culture.

While it doesn’t dominate in fashion or beauty services, its dining scene is increasingly competitive: places like Pineapple and Pearls and minibar have brought fine dining options that are expanding beyond the federal core.

8 Miami, FL

Miami’s luxury is as much about pace as price. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Boia De are just two of the city’s 60+ Michelin-starred restaurants, and neighborhoods like Brickell and Coral Gables are filled with design studios, private wellness clubs, and fashion pop-ups from Europe and Latin America. Add in the Art Basel effect — private shows, invite-only dinners, collectors’ lounges — and it’s clear that Miami’s appeal now goes far beyond beach clubs.

While Miami is a powerhouse that caters to the finest tastes and ranks high across most categories, it does have a major drawback. The median wage is just under $70,000. So while you may see affluence around you, it can only be enjoyed on a top earner’s salary.

7 Scottsdale, AZ

Scottsdale blends resort-style living with residential ease. Areas like Paradise Valley feature custom-built homes with private theaters, yoga domes, and views that look straight out of a real estate fantasy listing. It’s one of the few places where everyday life feels like a permanent vacation.

If you’re looking for entertainment and world-class cuisine, you’ll also be in luck. The city ranks in the top 10 for upscale cuisine and has a wealth of casinos available. But if haute couture and preppy schools are your idea of luxury, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Ranking for these categories hovers around 50th for Scottsdale.

6 Seattle, WA

Contrary to San Jose, this city ranks pretty steadily close to the top across all categories, with the exception of beauty and fashion. Seattle hosts a version of luxury that’s intentional and very Pacific Northwest. It ranks highly in education and culture, though you won’t always see it at first glance.

Institutions like Canlis operate with tasting menus overlooking Lake Union, while wellness trends here lean toward natural. Forest bathing, cold plunges, and REI as fashion.

Sleepless in Seattle may have put the skyline on the map, but these days, the city’s wealth sleeps soundly in glassy, modern homes with $3 million views and zero pretense. It’s easy to see why Seattle ranks sixth in luxury real estate as well as overall.

5 San Jose, CA

Powered by Silicon Valley wealth and a surprising cultural scene of its own, San Jose lands fifth on this list. But the city has the top spot in both wealth and luxury real estate, far surpassing any others in the top 10.

The median household income is over $125,000, and high-end services cater to tech executives and their families. Private golf courses, members-only wine rooms, and gated neighborhoods where outnumber mailboxes are a key component of San Jose.

Ties to Palo Alto and Los Gatos reinforce a culture where luxury is more often experienced than flaunted. Though that means San Jose is barely scratching the surface in fine dining, culture and entertainment, and fashion. For these categories, this affluent city ranks closer to 100th than first.

4 New York City, NY

Despite ranking fourth overall, New York City still leads the country in cultural depth and dining prestige. With over 350 Michelin-starred restaurants—Per Se, Le Bernardin, Eleven Madison Park, to name a few—it remains the standard-bearer for global cuisine. The city also hosts over 88 highly rated art galleries and more than 150 theaters, far surpassing any competitor.

Its overall score is tempered only by sheer scale. When measured per capita, access can appear diluted. But the reality is simple. If it exists in luxury, it exists in New York.

Even at its size, NYC manages to get the top spot in elite education. Beauty and wellness are the only areas where the city struggles to be near the top 25, landing it at 48th.

3 Irvine, CA

Irvine is one of the clearest examples of family-oriented luxury. Home to almost 30 private schools and some of the highest-rated public ones in California, it’s designed for affluence with a suburban layout.

Think Whole Foods-lined plazas, Tesla-heavy drop-off lines, and yoga studios that fill before 7 a.m. Sophistication is embedded in everyday routines here.

Irvine cracks the top 10 when it comes to fashion, real estate, and affluence, but it’s not the case across all categories. Education and fine dining take a second seat and are at the mid-tier.

2 San Francisco, CA

Coming in second, leading the West Coast with its blend of tech wealth and high-end taste, is San Francisco. The city has institutions like Benu, Quince, and Atelier Crenn anchoring the fine dining scene, which earned the city its spot as number six in fine dining.

Neighborhoods like Pacific Heights and Noe Valley are packed with fitness clubs, jewel-box bakeries, and independent fashion labels. Add in art institutions like SFMOMA and frequent private gallery events in Dogpatch, and it’s clear why San Francisco ranks so high across most categories. Especially in luxury real estate and wealth and affluence, ranking third and fourth, respectively.

1 Jersey City, NJ

On paper, Jersey is a small city. In practice, it’s one of the most well-positioned places to live in the country. While Jersey City’s population is under 300,000, it benefits enormously from being Manhattan’s neighbor. Every restaurant in Tribeca or the West Village is reachable in under 15 minutes.

But Jersey City’s luxury isn’t just borrowed. Residential towers like 99 Hudson provide private spas, lounges, and sky-high terraces directly to the waterfront. Van Vorst Park, lined with boutique wine shops and cafés, is a quiet luxury haven of its own.

Due to this, Jersey takes top spot across four of our main categories, including fine dining, fashion, beauty and wellness, and entertainment and culture. The one area it lacks is education, currently occupying the 66th spot overall.

Wealth & affluence - where money whispers

This category combined median household income, city-level GDP, and the percentage of upper-income households. It’s one of the heaviest-weighted categories, accounting for 22% of the final score.

Unsurprisingly, Silicon Valley dominates here. But there are some lesser-known standouts. Plano, Texas, ranked just outside the top 30 overall, has one of the highest shares of upper-income households in the country, placing it 15th in this category.

Interestingly, Gilbert, Arizona, ranks sixth in wealth per resident. This is driven by its concentration of high-earning professionals in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare, as well as a healthy GDP.

Luxury real estate - Million-dollar views, million-dollar zip codes

California cities dominate again. But this time in different ways. In San Francisco, more than 70% of homes are valued over $1 million, while Los Angeles, San Jose, and Irvine all rank high for top-tier listings.

Beyond the usual suspects, cities like Honolulu and Fremont rank surprisingly high in the share of million-dollar homes, largely due to limited inventory and geographic constraints.

Honolulu, for instance, has median home values near $800,000 and a large share of properties in the seven-figure range, especially in neighborhoods like Kahala and Diamond Head.

In Colorado, both Denver and Aurora see strong home value growth tied to luxury developments near ski access or national parks. While not necessarily dense in designer storefronts, these cities offer high-cost living shaped by the exclusivity of location rather than traditional luxury amenities.

Education & Elite Schools - Boarding school belt?

While New York City and Miami dominate for private and boarding schools, it's cities like St. Louis and Chicago that also score well proportionally. St. Louis, in particular, has a strong concentration of private institutions relative to its population and benefits from a deep-rooted academic and cultural tradition.

Jacksonville, Florida, also performs better than expected here, thanks to a network of established prep schools with strong regional reputations.

Fine dining - Stars on the plate, not just in the sky

Jersey and NYC lead in sheer number of Michelin stars. But it’s other cities that punch above their weight. Washington, D.C., for example, boasts over 100 Michelin-starred restaurants despite ranking 7th overall in our index.

Newark performs similarly. It doesn’t crack the top 10 for overall luxury, but it ranks second in fine dining thanks to its rich cultural mix and legacy spots like Fornos of Spain, plus a wave of new eateries revitalizing the Ironbound District.

Meanwhile, cities like Tampa and Orlando rank surprisingly high for upscale dining per capita, even if they’re lesser known on the culinary map. These cities have seen a rise in chef-driven kitchens and boutique restaurant groups catering to local affluence.

Fashion & beauty - All dressed up, everywhere to go

If luxury fashion had a zip code, it would start with 100...something. New York (technically Jersey City at 1st place) comes out on top in retail and cultural weight, ranking 14th overall. The Met Gala is the industry’s most important night. Fifth Avenue still holds its own, but downtown and SoHo have shifted the mood toward designer boutiques, cult labels, and private showrooms.

In Miami, fashion leans bold. The Design District is packed with flagship stores, mirrored facades, and enough gallery crossovers to blur the line between commerce and culture, showing exactly why the city is 4th overall in fashion.

Santa Ana has also been gaining traction, with its growing boutique scene and proximity to Orange County’s affluent shoppers attracting both legacy brands and emerging designers.

But fashion isn’t just coastal. Dallas holds its ground in the second spot with NorthPark Center and Highland Park Village, two of the highest-performing luxury retail hubs in the U.S.

Entertainment & culture - Beyond just casinos and clubs

Las Vegas ranks 4th here, but that’s expected.

What’s not: cities like New Orleans and Richmond also cracking the top 10 thanks to their dense nightlife, music scenes, and constant event schedules. Even if they rank lower overall. New Orleans, for instance, hosts more cultural events per capita than almost any other U.S. city, from opera to street festivals.

The Jersey City Effect - Why Size (and Location) Matters

Jersey City topping this list is what happens when you measure access instead of assumptions. Our methodology didn’t reward big names or tourist draws. It looked at how much luxury is available to residents, relative to size and income.

Jersey City benefits from something most cities can’t buy. Proximity. Within five miles, residents can access 500+ luxury jewelry shops, thousands of designer retail stores, spas, nightclubs, and 44 luxury gyms to sweat all the fun off, just across the Hudson. All without the price tag (or tax bracket) of Manhattan.

This kind of advantage doesn't scale.

Cities like New York or Los Angeles are saturated with high-end offerings, but when you divide those by millions of residents, access gets diluted. Smaller cities with compact footprints, like Jersey City, Irvine, or even Scottsdale, come out ahead when it comes to actual availability.

Where Luxury Falls Short

Not every large city scores well in high-end living. Cities like Laredo, Detroit, and Fresno landed near the bottom of the ranking. That’s because they offer limited access to luxury services relative to population size.

For example:

Laredo ranked lowest overall, with minimal presence of private schools, upscale cuisine, or upscale wellness services.
Detroit, while home to a growing art and music scene, still struggles with low median income levels and a limited share of million-dollar homes.
Fresno, despite California’s overall strong showing, had one of the lowest scores in fashion, beauty, and cultural access per capita.

That doesn’t make these cities unlivable. But in terms of concentrated luxury, they lag far behind the national average.

Methodology

This ranking evaluates the 100 largest U.S. cities based on how accessible and concentrated their luxury offerings are in 2025. Each city received a score out of 100, weighted across seven core categories tied to high-end living:

Wealth & affluence (22 points): GDP, median household income, and share of upper-income households.
Luxury real estate & homes (14 points): Share of million-dollar homes and Zillow Home Value Index.
Education & elite schools (9 points): Number of private schools and boarding schools.
Fine dining (12 points): Number of Michelin-starred restaurants and upscale dining options per capita.
Fashion (11 points): Luxury jewelry and fashion retailers per upper-income household, plus fashion industry events.
Beauty & wellbeing (8 points): High-end gyms, fitness studios, spas, and beauty services per upper-income household.
Entertainment & culture (24 points): Nightlife venues, art galleries, theaters, operas, casinos, boat shows, and car shows per capita.

Each metric was normalized by population or by the number of upper-income households to allow fair comparisons between large and small cities.

Data sources

U.S. Census Bureau

Bureau of Economic Analysis

Zillow

Private School Review

Boarding School Review

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Yelp

TripAdvisor

Guide Michelin

OperaBase

OpenDataSoft

Regional event directories (car shows, boat shows, fashion events)