A marker of modern wealth and financial success is making a minimum of $150,000 annually. An even bigger success? Earning that income while still young — particularly between the ages of 25 to 44. Once you’ve attained that wealth, though, where should you spend it?
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That’s a question GOBankingRates sought to answer by locating the 20 best Southern cities for rich young people to live in America. We did so by combing over data from the U.S. Census Bureau in order to suss out cities in which the 25 to 44 age bracket was both a significant fraction of the population, and made at least $150,000 annually. We then cross-referenced those cities with the FBI’s 2024 Offenses Known to Law Enforcement database in order to find locations with the lowest violent crime and property crime rates.
What follows are 20 of the best southern cities for rich young people to live, which are listed below from best to least.
Key Findings
- Virginia dominated the 20 best Southern cities: Five cities from the state of Virginia appear in the 20 best Southern cities for rich young people to live — that’s more than any other state.
- Herndon, Virginia has the most wealth: Not only does Virginia appear more than any other state in the top 20, but its city of Herndon hosts the most wealth for the young. Specifically, 24.3% of the young homeowners there are between the ages of 25 and 44, and have an annual income of $150,000 or more.
- Fort Thomas, Kentucky is as safe as it gets: As far as the 20 best Southern cities for the young and wealthy are concerned, Fort Thomas, Kentucky is the safest — it has the fewest incidents of violent crime of any city listed.
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1. Cary, North Carolina
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 14.5%
- Livability: 90
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 13.2
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.7
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2. Fort Thomas, Kentucky
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 9.8%
- Livability: 91
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.9
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.5
3. Falls Church, Virginia
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 17.2%
- Livability: 88
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 15.2
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.0
4. Herndon, Virginia
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 24.3%
- Livability: 85
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 18.0
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.4
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5. Leesburg, Virginia
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 20.5%
- Livability: 86
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 15.7
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.6
6. Safety Harbor, Florida
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 9.8%
- Livability: 87
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.9
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.3
7. Blacksburg, Virginia
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 8.1%
- Livability: 89
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.2
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.8
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8. Decatur, Georgia
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 14.4%
- Livability: 87
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 22.7
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.3
9. Seminole, Florida
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 6.5%
- Livability: 89
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 18.8
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.9
10. Rogers, Arkansas
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 8.9%
- Livability: 88
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 12.8
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 3.4
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11. Lynchburg, Virginia
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 3.5%
- Livability: 91
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 17.4
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 3.6
12. Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 8.2%
- Livability: 87
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 25.2
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.7
13. Oxford, Mississippi
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 4.5%
- Livability: 88
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 18.5
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.3
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14. Simpsonville, South Carolina
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 10.2%
- Livability: 86
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 26.1
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.1
15. Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 5.0%
- Livability: 85
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 12.0
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.3
16. Lexington, Kentucky
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 6.0%
- Livability: 87
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 22.7
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.6
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17. Denton, Texas
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 7.5%
- Livability: 85
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 17.5
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.0
18. Mauldin, South Carolina
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 6.2%
- Livability: 85
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 13.8
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.2
19. Stuart, Florida
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 3.1%
- Livability: 86
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 21.5
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 3.1
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20. Covington, Kentucky
- % of all homeowners who are age 25-44 and making $150K: 4.0%
- Livability: 85
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 16.4
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.9
Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed.
Methodology: GOBankingRates used data from the U.S. Census 2023 5-year American Community Survey to find the total population, population ages 25 to 44 and income information. The percentage of householders age 25-44 when compared to all households was calculated, and the percentage of householders age 25-44 with household income of $150,000. Property crime and violent crime data was sourced from the FBI’s 2024 Offenses Known to Law Enforcement and used to calculated the crime rates per 1,000 residents. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes for each city. The percentage of householders age 25-44 when compared to all householders was scored and weighted at 2.00, the percentage of householders age 25-44 with household income of $150,000 was scored and weighted at 2.00, the livability was scored and weighted at 2.00, the property crime rate was scored and weighted at 1.50 and the violent crime rate was scored and weighted at 1.50. All the scores were summed and ranked. All data is up to date as of Dec. 8, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Best Southern Cities for Young and Rich To Live
