Wildwood Announced as Missouri’s Top Wealth Center
Wildwood, MO—When a recent study was done of the relative affluence of 2,065 U.S. cities, towns and unincorporated urban areas with populations of 15,000 or more, Wildwood ranked 68 in the nation and first in Missouri. The study, which was conducted by Bizjournals, was reported in the May 22-28 edition of the St. Louis Business Journal. The only other Missouri city in the study to make the nation’s top-100 list was Chesterfield , with a ranking of 97. The Washington D.C. suburb of McLean , Virginia ranked number one.
The Business Journal article stated that the purpose of the study was to “…identify the nation’s wealth centers, defined as places blessed with high incomes, expensive homes, strong educational levels and widespread ownership of stocks, rental properties and motor vehicles.” Bizjournals reportedly used raw data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2005-2007 American Community Survey to derive the results of the study.
According to the Census Bureau, Wildwood’s median household income is $113,270, with 17.7 percent of the city’s households enjoying an income of more than $200,000. The median household income for the U.S. is $50,000. The median value of owner-occupied homes in Wildwood is $348,200, compared to a national median value of $181,800. In addition, 63.8 percent of Wildwood’s population age 25 and over has attained a bachelor degree or higher. Nationally, only 27 percent of the population has attained that level of education.
When presented with the findings of the study, Wildwood’s Mayor Tim Woerther said, “One only has to drive through our neighborhoods and talk to our citizens to know we are a very blessed community, but this study provides us a deeper appreciation for our greatest commodity—our residents. We are a community filled with high achievers. They are what make us continually strive to achieve more.”
The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2005-2007 American Community Survey is available online at http://www.census.gov/. From the Census Bureau’s home page, enter Wildwood, Missouri in the “Population Finder” search field in the right column. Once you’re on the main page for Wildwood, pull up the “Fact Sheet” option in the left column.
The full Bizjournal report is obtainable online by going to http://www.bizjournals.com/ and entering “wealth center” in the search field. The article appears under the heading, “D.C. suburb ranks as top wealth center.”
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