There aren’t that many surprises on 20 richest cities in the world by 2016 GDP per capita list. Most of these are long developed US cities, but there are a few international entrants as well. I say this doesn’t come as a surprise since the USA itself accumulates around one-quarter of the world’s total GDP. Last year we brought you the list of 20 richest cities in the world by 2015 GDP per capita, and that time we used slightly different data sets which shall be reflected in this year list’s changes. This time, we ended up using the GDP per capita, PPP or gross domestic product per capita converted to international dollars. In other words, we have used purchasing power parity rates to determine more realistic, adjusted GDP per capita rates, while using US dollar as the base currency.
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Just like the last year, we have pulled the data from Brookings. 2014 Global Metro Monitor has been our source again, but we had to adjust the values in order for them to reflect the 2016 changes. After all, much can change during the course of two years. Our final figures are the result of initial 2014 figures’ adjustment by applying the 2013/2014 change in GDP per capita percentages for all given cities. We had to apply the change twice in order to gain the wanted figure; once for 2015 and once for 2016. Although this method is far from being precise, it’s one of the very few choices we currently have at our disposal. GDP per capita for countries is a common data calculated on a yearly basis, but GDP per capita for world’s cities isn’t. We get such data on a few years basis at best, so this is our best answer while we wait for more precise figures. Here are the 20 richest cities in the world by 2016 GDP per capita.
20. Des Moines, Iowa (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $64,752
Around 210,000 people living in Des Moines, Iowa can boast with one of the biggest purchasing power parity-adjusted GDP per capita levels in the world. It’s the only city on the list with no projected GDP changes, so we have to assume that $64,752 from 2014 have remained the same for 2016.
19. Los Angeles, California (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $65,212
Los Angeles didn’t have that much better PPP GDP growth either. Only 0.1% means that $65,082 from 2014 translates to $65,212 in 2016. Still, making the top 20 in the world is a success for a metro of more than 13 million inhabitants of all kinds of different social, demographic, and wealth structures.
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18. Madison, Wisconsin (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $66,307
People living in Wisconsin’s capital enjoy the yearly GDP rise of 0.3%. In purchasing power parity GDP, that translates to $66,307 for 2016 compared to $65,911 for 2014. Not bad for a city of some 250,000 inhabitants and a metro of around 650,000 citizens.
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17. Albany, New York (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $66,474
Small 100,000 inhabitants city of Albany, New York, boasts just a tad bit larger GDP PPP than Madison. It also boasts slower growth of 0.1% per year, so we can safely expect Madison to surpass it if this trend continues for another year or so. That slight 0.1% increase has earned Albany the growth from $66,342 in 2014 to current $66,474.
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16. Baton Rouge, Louisiana (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $66,707
The capital of Louisiana with some 230,000 citizens and metro of some 830,000 people records a healthy GDP PPP growth of 1.5%. Converted to yearly figures, that’s $64,750 in 2014 and $66,707 in 2016.
15. Portland, Oregon (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $68,453
With $68,453 purchasing power parity GDP, Portland, Oregon, takes the fifteenth spot on the list of the world’s richest cities. Around 600,000 of its citizens (2.4 million citizens of a metro area), also enjoy a steady GDP growth rate of 0.6%. This means the largest Oregonian city used to have the GDP PPP figure of $67,639 only a couple of years ago.
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14. Singapore (Singapore)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $69,293
Singapore is the first non-US city so far on this list of 20 richest cities in the world by 2016 GDP per capita. A southeast Asian city-state of some 5.5 million inhabitants is one of the richest countries in the world. It boasts $69,293 GDP PPP per capita and a growth of 1.8% on a yearly basis. This means its GDP PPP per capita from 2014 was $66,864.
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13. Durham, North Carolina (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $69,593
Durham is a city of some 250,000 inhabitants and 550,000 citizens in its metro area. It too registers a steady GDP per capita growth of 1.2%. In other words, what used to be GDP per capita PPP of $67,953 in 2014 is now $69,593.
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12. Perth, Western Australia (Australia)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $69,987
Second international entrant so far is Perth – a city of slightly more than 2 million inhabitants, and the largest city on Australia’s west coast. Perth boasts a yearly GDP per capita growth of more than healthy 3.4%, which translates to a rise in GDP of more than $4,000 in two years time. Current figure stands at $69,987 while the 2014 figure was $65,651.
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11. New York, New York (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $70,055
We are continuing our list of richest cities in the world by 2016 GDP per capita with The Big Apple that is one of the largest cities in the world with a metro of some 20 million people. New York’s yearly GDP turnaround is almost unfathomable for other cities in the world, though, so it’s no surprise it makes the list of one of the richest cities in the world despite its high cost of living. GDP per capita Growth of just 0.1% has ensured New York the PPP GDP of $70,055 for 2016. 2014 figure, on the other hand, read $69,915.
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10. Washington, District of Columbia (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $70,843
Washington, D.C. is the city with the highest negative GDP per capita growth on this list. -1.5% per year means that more than 6 million of the capital’s citizens earn less in 2016 ($70,843) than they were in 2014 ($73,017). If this trend continues in 2017, Perth and New York will easily surpass it, and so will Durham.
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9. San Francisco, California (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $71,668
With Silicon Valley in its full bloom, San Francisco easily earns its spot on this list of 20 richest cities in the world by 2016 GDP per capita. Interestingly, though, it’s recording a negative GDP growth of -0.5%, This means that $72,390 in 2014 now translate to purchasing power parity GDP per capita of $71,668.
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8. Seattle, Washington (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $73,158
Seattle ranks 8th in our list of richest cities in the world by 2016 GDP per capita. It is just shy of having 700,000 citizens, but its metro is 3.7 million inhabitants strong. Seattle citizens enjoy what’s one of world’s largest purchasing power parity -adjusted GDP per capita incomes in the world, of $73,158. Growth of only 0.1% means that the figure wasn’t all that different couple of years ago when it stood at $73,012.
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7. Bridgeport, Connecticut (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $73,560
Small Connecticut city of some 150,000 inhabitants and metro just shy of 1 million people is a home to one of the world’s biggest GDP per capita rates. Although recording negative GDP growth of -0.2%, 2014 GDP PPP figure of $73,855 and 2016 figure of $73,560 don’t differ that much.
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6. Calgary, Alberta (Canada)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $74,223
The only Canadian city on this list of 20 richest cities in the world by 2016 GDP per capita records the growth of 3.1%. Slightly more than 1 million of Calgary’s inhabitants used to enjoy the GDP PPP rate of $69,826 in 2014. However, thanks to the already mentioned growth, that figure now stands at $74,223.
5. Boston, Massachusetts (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $76,968
Up next in our list of richest cities in the world by 2016 GDP per capita is Boston and more than 4.6 million of its metro inhabitants who can be proud of their GDP PPP per capita income of $76,968. 0.5% GDP growth might not seem like much, but two years ago, people of Bean Town had almost $1,000 less at their disposal earning GDP PPP per capita of $76,204.
4. Houston, Texas (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $77,343
Relying on blooming energy (mostly oil) industry, it doesn’t come as a surprise Houston ranks so high among the world’s richest cities. 6.3 million inhabitants metro is recording a healthy 1.6% GDP growth, which means $74,926 GDP PPP from 2014 are now $77,343.
3. San Jose, California (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $82,744
Positioned in the heart of the Silicon Valley, San Jose of some 1 million inhabitants (2 million metro) earns the reputation of being California’s wealthiest city in terms of purchasing power parity GDP per capita. Current 2016 figure of $82,744 wasn’t that different two years ago. 0.2% growth means that 2014 figure stood at $82,414.
2. Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $83,587
Although not the absolute richest city in the world by DGP PPP per capita, Hartford rates the best of all US cities. Connecticut metro of some 1.2 million inhabitants has a growth of 0.3% and 2016 purchasing power parity GDP per capita amounts to $83,587. 2014 figure wasn’t all that lower, coming to $83,088.
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1. Macau (People’s Republic of China)
Projected 2016 GDP per capita, PPP: $109,466
Macau is the world’s most densely populated area. More than 600,000 people live on less than 12 square miles of land. Macau also takes the number one spot on this 20 richest cities in the world by 2016 GDP per capita list. It had the purchasing power parity-adjusted GDP per capita of $93,849 in 2014, but thanks to a whopping 8% GDP growth rate, that figure now stands at $109,466. Macau came back into Chinese possession in 1999 when Portugal finally ceded the peninsula in their favor. Chinese, however, allowed Macau to keep many of its autonomous aspects, and it seems to have worked.
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