Bestselling cars in America's wealthiest zip codes

If you think Jaguars, Bentleys and Maseratis dominate the roads of America’s richest cities, think again. In a new study by TrueCar that examined the car buying preferences of residents in the 10 wealthiest zip codes in the United States, luxury cars may expectedly fit the lifestyles of these rich and famous, but there are plenty of surprises. Read more to find out which two of these affluent cities purchased the Toyota Prius more than any other vehicle.

#10: Ross, California - 94957

Average Income: $497,000
Notable Residents: Julia Child, Huey Lewis

Just 15 miles across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco into environmentally conscious Marin County sits the small town of Ross. Named after James Ross, who purchased the land in 1857 for $50,000, it’s not uncommon for today’s residents to spend $50,000 on a new car. But if Ross residents aren’t buying a luxury car, they’re apparently buying the Toyota Prius.

#9: Medina, Washington - 98039

Average Income: $506,000
Notable Residents: Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon.com)

Two words: Bill Gates. The Microsoft founder owns a home along the 4.8 square miles of land that encompasses the residential city of Medina. Lake Washington borders the city to the north, south, and west, and Seattle is just a bridge away. The majority of households are comprised of families, which is likely why residents opted for spacious and family-friendly SUV’s and minivans.

#8: Palm Beach, Florida – 33480

Average Income: $566,000
Notable Residents:Donald Trump, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh

The easternmost town of Palm Beach is situated on a 16-mile-long barrier island, paralleling the main coast cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Forth. With a median age of 67 years old, these retirement-age residents have an affinity for Mercedes-Benz vehicles, which round out the top three most popular vehicles purchased.

#7: Greenwich, Connecticut – 06831

Average Income: $644,000
Notable Residents: Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Mel Gibson, Tommy Hilfiger, Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford.

Home to political dynasties like the Kennedys and the Bushs at one time or another, the mansion-lined New England town of Greenwich is conveniently located about a half-hour’s drive or train ride into Manhattan. Residents have a penchant for SUVs, with the affordably priced Jeep Wrangler surprisingly topping the list of the most purchased vehicles.

#6: New Vernon, New Jersey - 07976

Average Income: $749,000
Notable Residents: Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge (daughter of William Avery Rockefeller, Jr.), Eric Mangini (Former New York Jets/Cleveland Browns head coach), C Cornell Remsen Jr. (former VP of ITT), Kerry Kittles (Nets)

Old money meets new money in the Metropolitan New York area city of New Vernon where Rockefellers have nested and where the median age is just 35 years old. Located about an hour’s drive from New York City, Vernon residents drive the usual suspects of luxury vehicles.

#5: Century City, California - 90067

Average Income: $751,000
Notable Residents: MGM, CAA, 20th Century Fox

Situated east of Santa Monica and west of Beverly Hills, Century City is not exactly Hollywood, but it’s where a lot of Hollywood does business. Headquarters of the famous Creative Artists Agency (CAA), MGM, and 20th Century Fox fill the office-tower-streaked Century City skyline. Even Ronald Reagan once kept a private office there. While Century City residents are rather fond of the eco-friendly Prius, they still like their fair share of Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs.

#4: Atherton, California – 94027

Average Income: $768,000
Notable Residents: Sheryl Sandberg (COO Facebook), Joe Montana, Meg Whitman, Willie Mays, Charles R. Schwab

The quaint wood-filled city of Atherton is nestled quietly between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Silicon Valley tycoons, star athletes and politicians are among the city’s fewer than 7,000 residents – residents who really like their Benzes. The only car under $50,000 that you can get away with driving in Atherton, without being identified as a visitor: the Toyota Prius.

#3: Downtown Chicago, Illinois – 60604

Average Income: $782,000
Notable Residents: Kirby Puckett, Pete Wentz, Buddy Guy, R. Kelly, James Belushi, Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, Bob Fosse, Amy and David Sedaris

One of the nation’s most densely populated and most beloved cities, Chicago is rich, yet humble -- not one luxury vehicle made it to the top five. Instead, affordable, practical vehicles you would expect to see in every middle-class suburb are what you would find on the pricey urban streets of Chicago.

#2: Fisher Island, Florida – 33109

Average Income: $1,531,000
Notable Residents: The Vanderbilt’s, Andre Agassi, Julia Roberts, Jim Carey, Oprah Winfrey

Named after automotive parts pioneer and beach real estate developer Carl Fisher, the exclusive Fisher Island is a neighborhood of metropolitan Miami, Florida, and is only accessible via private boat or ferry. Fewer than 500 residents call the Island home and they have discerning tastes in cars. Mercedes sweeps the top two most popular cars on Fisher Island, and not a single car less than $50,000 rounds out the top five, so it’s worth mentioning again – exclusive.

#1: Manhattan, New York - 10274

Average Income: $5,711,000
Notable Residents: Spike Lee, Liza Minnelli, Ralph Lauren, Kevin Spacey, Kelly Ripa, Zac Posen, Anderson Cooper, Deepak Chopra

It’s no surprise that Manhattan tops the list of the wealthiest zip codes in the United States. From Wall Street bankers to A-list Hollywood celebrities, Manhattan offers residents everything for the right price – usually a premium. But even in the playground for the rich, there are still pockets of middle-class and working-class families who have called “The City” home for generations. While the Mercedes-Benzes and the BMWs prevail, they must still share the road with the Honda Accords and Honda CR-Vs.

Methodology:
Wealthiest Zips data based on IRS Tax table: http://www.tax.com/www/freefiles.nsf/Files/Top1percent.pdf/$file/Top1percent.pdf. Filtered for zip codes with 1,000 returns or more. If the particular zip code didn’t have a large enough sample size, it was expanded to include surrounding zip codes. Zip codes are in the file that are associated to the location. MSRP is based on the most popular trim.