Saying that a lot has changed over the last 10 years would be a massive understatement. Two of the main touchstones of our society, culture and the economy, have shifted at a rapid rate, and pretty much everything else has undergone a major transformation right along with them. And for residents of West University Place, it’s apparently on the up and up.
Looking back on the last decade provides insight into just how much has changed and why, and the latest study from GoBankingRates is a great example of that.
Recently, the publication released its list of “America’s Wealthiest Suburbs Today Compared to 10 Years Ago.” Cracking the Top 2 for “America’s Wealthiest Suburbs” was Houston’s own West University Place.
To calculate the rankings, GoBankingRates examined income data provided by the Census Bureau outlining the average household income for 50 US suburbs between 2014 and 2024.
To qualify as one of those suburbs, the cities needed to have at least 5,000 households and be located near a larger metropolitan area (AKA a city).
According to the report, the average household income for West University Place residents in 2024 was $439,594. The average home value, as of January 2026, was $1,638,701.
According to CultureMap, it’s a slight improvement for the city which previously placed third for two years in a row and was listed as the No. 4 wealthiest suburb back in 2016.
In addition to showcasing this honor, GoBankingRates’s analysis of the Census Bureau data showed that West University Place has become wealthier over time. In 2024, the average household income was $294,723. That means people are typically making roughly $144,871 more now than they did even two years ago.
Joining West U. in the Top 50 was another Houston suburb, Bellaire. That city clocked in at No. 18—an improvement over its No. 23 placement in 2025. The average household income for Bellaire was $335,492 as of 2024.
CultureMap noted, though, that it’s a little tough for locals to describe either West University Place or Bellaire as a suburb given the size and sprawl of the two areas.
Ken Hoffman wrote in his assessment of the 2024 rankings, “A little research or even a phone call would have told them that neither West U nor Bellaire is a suburb. Both are fully independent cities that are completely surrounded by Houston on all sides. West U and Bellaire have their own mayors and city councils and police and fire departments and tax collectors. The moment you step outside West U and Bellaire you step inside Houston. If anything, Houston lies on the outskirts of West U and Bellaire.”
What Texas neighborhoods joined West University Place?
Joining West University Place and Bellaire on GoBankingRates’s list are three other suburbs, though these lie on the outskirts of Dallas-Fort Worth: Colleyville, Southlake, and University Park. University Park received the highest ranking of the group at No. 6 overall, whereas Southlake came in at No. 8 and Colleyville was No. 46.
The complete list of the Top 10 Wealthiest Suburbs in America for 2026 is as follows:
- No. 1: Scarsdale, New York
- No. 2: West University Place, Texas
- No. 3: Rye, New York
- No. 4: Los Altos, California
- No. 5: Paradise Valley, Arizona
- No. 6: University Park, Texas
- No. 7: Alamo, California
- No. 8: Southlake, Texas
- No. 9: McLean, Virginia
- No. 10: Orinda, California
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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