If you’re contemplating where to buy a house and settle in, you shouldn’t only take into consideration the city and state. Factors that are significant in their relation to homeowning, such as property taxes and school districts, operate on a smaller, more detailed level than the city-level. Therefore, shopping for homes in terms of ZIP code isn’t a terrible approach because housing prices can vary substantially within a city based on the ZIP code.
Read on to find out the most expensive ZIP codes in the United States in 2023 as well as trends and themes these places share.
The Most Expensive ZIP Codes in America
Using data from Zillow’s August 2023 home price index, we analyzed thousands of ZIP codes across the U.S. in order to zero-in on the top 100 most expensive ZIP codes in America. As part of our analysis, we took into consideration the latest monthly home values Zillow has — August 2023 — as well as the average of 12 months of median home values from September 2022 to August 2023, in order to gain a fuller picture.
Below are the 100 most expensive ZIP codes in the U.S.
The ZIP code 94027 in Atherton has been the most expensive ZIP code in the U.S. for several years running now. While its median home value for August 2023 was just below $7.5 million, back in June 2022, it reached a peak of over $8.21 million.
The second most expensive ZIP code — 33109 — covers Fisher Island, a famously pricey part of Miami Beach, which can only be reached by boat or aircraft, as there are no bridges. Not surprisingly, Fisher Island is also the richest city in Florida.
The third most expensive ZIP code is a classic: Beverly Hills, 90210. Like Atherton’s 94027, home values in ZIP code 90210 peaked in June 2022, at nearly $5.89 million. Its 12-month average home value of approximately $5.36 million is pretty close to the median home value of August 2023, $5.34 million.
Patterns Among the Most Expensive ZIP Codes in the U.S.
One of the most obvious patterns to emerge from the top 100 most expensive ZIP codes is the amount of ZIP codes located in California: 61 out of 100 ZIP codes. New York state comes in a distant second, with 12 of the most expensive ZIP codes. And, in a distant third, is New Jersey, which is home to four of the most expensive ZIP codes.
Three of New York state’s most expensive ZIP codes — 10013, 10007, and 10012 — are located in southern Manhattan, while the other nine most expensive ZIP codes are in the Hamptons or Long Island in general. In California, the most expensive ZIP codes are distributed fairly evenly between the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, the Los Angeles metro area, while a couple of ZIP codes lay in the San Diego metro area.