Where to Find Massachusetts’ Millionaires
Is your neighbor likely to be among the state’s financial elite?
Wondering where to host a charity event or sell Girl Scout cookies door-to-door? Data released by the state Department of Revenue can help steer your search for a millionaire patron.
According to the figures, 15,499 people in Massachusetts reported an Adjusted Gross Income of $1 million or more in on their 2012 filings. Maryann Merigan, spokeswoman for the Department of Revenue, said that this number had increased from 13,074 millionaire filers the previous year, according to The Boston Globe.
That’s a lot of people with a lot of cash.
So where are these pockets of affluence? Pretty much where you’d expect them to be: Boston (1,698), Newton (1,136), Wellesley (767), Weston (529), Brookline (442), and Lexington (379).
Other towns with high per-capita incomes included Andover (244) to the north and Hingham (288) to the south.
If you aspire to round off the 2012 figure to an even 15,500, local experts have some tips for balancing wealth and happiness.
Economists Thomas Stanley and William Danko found that most wealthy individuals they interviewed lived below their means. Along the same lines, Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton recommended changing lifestyle habits slowly, rather than moving to affluent communities as soon as you hit the big leagues. He also said that philanthropy can contribute to happiness.
To see the figures of how likely it is that your neighbor is a millionaire, read the full report from the Globe.
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