The latest statistics on the income of residents in Spanish cities have once again drawn attention to the suburbs of Madrid. This year, Pozuelo de Alarcón tops the ranking, with an average annual income per taxpayer of €88,011. This city has long been associated with luxurious mansions, exclusive neighborhoods, and a high standard of living unattainable for most Spaniards.
Boadilla del Monte takes second place, with an average income of €70,869. Completing the top three is Sant Just Desvern (Barcelona province), with €67,265. Other cities in the top ten include Sant Cugat del Vallès, Matadepera, Alella, Torrelodones, Aigües (Alicante), Alcobendas, and Majadahonda. All of them showcase incomes that most regions of the country can only dream of.
Pozuelo de Alarcón has held the lead for more than ten years, surrendering the top spot to another city only once. Over this time, a unique environment has developed here: gated communities, prestigious schools, luxury cars, and celebrities who choose this suburb as their home. However, other cities in the top 25 also offer high levels of comfort and infrastructure.
Here is what the top twenty cities by average income look like (euros per year):
1. Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid) – 88,011
2. Boadilla del Monte (Madrid) – 70,869
3. Sant Just Desvern (Barcelona) – 67,265
4. Sant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona) – 66,073
5. Matadepera (Barcelona) – 65,536
6. Alella (Barcelona) – 62,304
7. Torrelodones (Madrid) – 61,359
8. Aigües (Alicante) – 60,883
9. Alcobendas (Madrid, La Moraleja) – 60,576
10. Majadahonda (Madrid) – 60,171
11. Sant Vicenç de Montalt (Barcelona) – 59,480
12. Cabrils (Barcelona) – 58,810
13. Lliçà de Vall (Barcelona) – 56,412
14. Corbera de Llobregat (Barcelona) – 56,019
15. Valldoreix (Barcelona) – 55,789
16. Gavà (Barcelona) – 54,832
17. Sant Quirze del Vallès (Barcelona) – 54,210
18. Castelldefels (Barcelona) – 53,991
19. Teià (Barcelona) – 53,457
20. Begues (Barcelona) – 52,920
However, if you look at the opposite end of the ranking, the picture changes dramatically. In Andalusia and Extremadura, incomes in some municipalities don’t even reach 14,000 euros a year. For example, in Benamargosa (Malaga), the average income is just 13,831 euros. Among the ten towns with the lowest incomes, most are located in Granada, Badajoz, and Jaén. The gap between the leader and the lowest-ranked municipality exceeds 74,000 euros—an enormous difference that clearly demonstrates the country’s economic inequality.
The ranking, published annually since 2013, rarely brings surprises, but sometimes unexpected shifts do occur. In 2023, Aigües (Alicante) made a sharp climb in the list, while Valldemossa (Mallorca) dropped from its high position, losing nearly a third of its income in a year. Such changes show that even in Spain’s generally stable economic landscape, significant fluctuations are possible.
