Say hello to Stephen Higley, the retired urban social geography professor who investigates racial integration in America’s wealthiest neighborhoods.
As part of his studies, Higley ranks the top 1,000 wealthiest neighborhoods in the country by aggregating contiguous block groups presented in the U.S. Census American Community Survey for 2006-2010. That basically gives him a look at each neighborhood’s demographics.
Based on the 2006-2010 ACS mean household income data, Higley has a number of area neighborhoods in the top 25, including one section of Bethesda at No. 2.
According to Higley, the Bradley Manor-Longwood neighborhood of Bethesda — just inside the Beltway where Bradley Boulevard crosses over — is the second most wealthy neighborhood in America, with a mean household income of $599,440.
No. 1 is the Golden Triangle in Greenwich, Conn., which has a mean household income of $614,242.
Not too far behind is Potomac Manors, a Potomac neighborhood of just 42 custom-built homes with a median household income of $599,331, good for No. 3 on the list. Carderock-The Palisades — the area just west of Bethesda along the Potomac River — is No. 5 with a mean household income of $595,669.
Chevy Chase Village, the incorporated area along the D.C. border and Connecticut Avenue, is the No. 24 most wealthy neighborhood with a mean household income of $466,049.
