Nearly a fifth of the world’s wealthy people live in just 10 cities around the world, according to recent data from wealth intelligence platform Altrata.
By far, New York City is home to the most ultra-high-net-worth individuals, or people with a net worth of more than $30 million. There are 21,380 such residents, a 23% increase from 2024, according to the report released on September 30 and including data through June. The report does not specify whether the increase is due to ultra-wealthy people moving to New York, existing residents joining the ranks, or both.
New York is one of the world’s largest financial centers, and for many ultra-wealthy individuals, New York may be close to their workplace. According to the report, banking and finance is the most popular industry for wealthy people of all generations to work in.
The second-largest city, Hong Kong, is also seeing an increase in its ultra-rich population, with the number increasing by about 23% to 17,215 in the first half of 2025, the report found. Like New York, Hong Kong has a rapidly growing financial industry. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s IPO valuation jumped nearly eight times in the first half of 2025 to as much as $14 billion, according to a CNBC report in July that compiled data from financial markets platform Dealogic.
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Beyond other global financial hubs, Tokyo and London, the rest of Altrata’s list features only US cities. That’s not particularly surprising. The United States has more than three times as many ultra-rich people as the next closest country, the report says.
According to Altrata’s research, the ultra-wealthy have vast amounts of wealth compared to some of their peers. People with a net worth of over $30 million make up 1% of the world’s billionaire population, but they own almost a third of their total wealth.
The population of ultra-high-net-worth individuals is also increasing, the report said. At the time this book was published, an estimated 510,810 people worldwide had a net worth of $30 million or more. Altrata predicted that number could rise to nearly 677,000 by 2030.
Below are the report’s top 10 cities with the highest populations of ultra-high net worth individuals.
1. New York
Number of ultra-high net worth individuals: 21,380
Increase from last 12 months: 23.4%
2. Hong Kong
Number of ultra-high net worth individuals: 17,215 people
Increase from last 12 months: 11.5%
3. Los Angeles
Number of ultra-high net worth individuals: 11,680 people
Increase from last 12 months: 24%
4. San Francisco
Number of ultra-high net worth individuals: 8,270
Increase from last 12 months: 24.9%
5. Chicago
Number of ultra-high net worth individuals: 7,530 people
Increase from last 12 months: 21.7%
6. Tokyo
Number of ultra-high net worth individuals: 6,940
Increase from last 12 months: 8.4%
7. London
Number of ultra-high net worth individuals: 6,660
Increase from last 12 months: 9.7%
8. Dallas
Number of ultra-high net worth individuals: 6,530 people
Increase from last 12 months: 23%
9. Washington DC
Number of ultra-high net worth individuals: 6,460
Increase from last 12 months: 23.6%
10. Houston
Number of ultra-high net worth individuals: 5,900
Increase from last 12 months: 22.0%
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