While it’s easy to identify the largest and most affluent metropolises in the United States, it’s far more difficult to pinpoint the priciest suburb closest to each major city. So real estate firm Engel & Völkers examined the fringes of the country’s 10 most populated urban spreads to determine just that. 
 
 Here’s a rundown of the well-to-do towns that made the list, ordered from least to greatest in terms of the corresponding major city’s population. 
 
 Los Altos Hills, CA 
 
 Bordering San Jose, Los Altos Hills is one of Silicon Valley’s most esteemed residential enclaves. With rolling hills and unparalleled bay views, it’s a popular home base for tech titans—including Cisco president John Chambers—and baseball legend Barry Bonds. (To boot, among its plethora of multimillion-dollar havens is the $10,000-a-night Airbnb mansion Beyoncé rented before performing at Super Bowl 50’s halftime show.) 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 8,334 
 
 Median home sales price: $3.45 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A five-bedroom, 12-bath home now priced at $88 million 
 
 Westlake, TX 
 
 Nestled on the outskirts of Dallas, Westlake is one of Texas’ most enviable communities. A Certified Gold Scenic City, it contains the Vaquero Club (one of the most exclusive private clubs in the nation) and the prestigious Westlake Academy, along with several corporate campuses such as Deloitte University and Fidelity Investments. Noteworthy residents include Glenn Beck, who occupies a 8,000-square-foot house formerly owned by retired MLB player Jorge Piedra and his Swarovski heiress wife, Vanessa. Properties currently up for grabs (sans celebrity ties) include this $4 million Mediterranean-style home. 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 1,096 
 
 Median home sales price: $2 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: An 11,248-square-foot mansion presently listed at $6.299 million 
 
 Rancho Santa Fe, CA 
 
 A stone’s throw away from San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe houses a slew of wealthy notables—from baseball bigwig Bud Black to billionaire businessman Bill Gates (who purchased his horse ranch for $18 million from weight loss guru Jenny Craig). Former denizens include singers Patti Page, Bing Crosby, Jewel, and Janet Jackson; NASA astronaut Pete Conrad (the third man to walk on the moon); golfer Phil Mickelson; and filmmaker Howard Hughes. Among the beautiful abodes now on the market in the area is this 7,400-square-foot, two-acre spread, now priced at $3.888 million. 
 
 Population (as of 2010): 3,117 
 
 Median home sales price: $2.119 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A 210-acre ranch with an 8,148-square-foot home now asking $85 million 
 
 Terrell Hills, TX 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 5,088 
 
 Median home sales price: $1.322 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A four-bedroom, five-bath home presently priced at $2.077 million 
 
 Five miles from downtown San Antonio, Terrell Hills is just minutes away from the vibrant city, widely regarded as one of the most culturally rich places in southwest Texas. Historic and cultural landmarks including the Riverwalk, Witte Museum, and the Alamo are at arm’s reach for inhabitants of the illustrious town, who include Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones. 
 
 Paradise Valley, AZ 
 
 Back in the day, Paradise Valley catered to farmers and their cattle. But today it’s regarded as Phoenix’s most coveted suburb and one of Arizona’s most popular tourist spots, touting a number of luxury resorts and must-see attractions. Framed by magnificent mountains, the desert oasis counts boxers Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, along with former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle among its past residents. Picturesque properties for sale in the area include this 6,905-square-foot, $5 million contemporary. 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 13,387 
 
 Median home sales price: $1.1 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A five-acre Mediterranean estate with a 25,416-square-foot main house now listed at $25 million 
 
 Bryn Mawr, PA 
 
 Bryn Mawr—which translates to “great hill” in Welsh—rests 10 miles outside of Philadelphia, in a moneyed region known as the Main Line. Teeming with distinguished schools, high-end boutiques, and fine-dining restaurants, the lush stretch is tied to an impressive who’s who, from Katharine Hepburn (who attended Bryan Mawr College) and former President Woodrow Wilson (who taught government at the school) to Kat Dennings (who grew up there) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emlen Tunnell. 
 
 Population (as of 2010): 3,779 
 
 Median home sales price: $760,292 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A 6,500-square-foot haven nestled on over five acres currently asking $4.25 million 
 
 Southside Place, TX 
 
 Southside Place is known for its family-friendly nature and close proximity to Houston. Spanning a mere 10 blocks, the charming expanse has an abundance of pools, parks, and reputable public schools, making it a great white-picket-fence escape from the bustling city. 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 1,784 
 
 Median home sales price: $1.253 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A Prairie-style house with four bedrooms and four baths now priced at $2.395 million 
 
 Glencoe, IL 
 
 Twenty miles north of Chicago lies the Village of Glencoe—a quaint community teeming with green, bordered by Lake Michigan, the Cook County Forest preserve, and Glencoe Golf Course. TV star Fred Savage and film actors Bruce Dern and Lili Taylor all grew up in the small town, which was also once home to vacuum cleaner king Earle Hoover, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Archibald MacLeish, and Judge James Wilkerson (who put Al Capone behind bars). 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 8,854 
 
 Median home sales price: $1.3 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A six-bedroom, English Country-style manor presently listed at $7.5 million 
 
 Bel Air, CA 
 
 Ensconced beneath the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, Bel Air has served as the backdrop for innumerable film and television productions in the past and boasts countless A-list residents—among them, Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk (whose 20,248-square-foot haven cost $17 million) and Jennifer Aniston (who spent $21 million on her 8,500-square-foot estate). Erstwhile dwellers include Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy, film icon Alfred Hitchcock, British screen legend Elizabeth Taylor, and Nancy and Ronald Reagan. 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 17,613 
 
 Median home sales price: $3.45 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A yet-to-be-built bespoke behemoth, set to be priced at $75 million (for 23,000 square-feet) or $115 million (for 59,000 square feet) 
 
 Bronxville, NY 
 
 Fifteen miles north of the Big Apple, Bronxville is one of Westchester County’s most beguiling suburbs. Measuring only one square mile, the close-knit spread—styled to resemble an English village—showcases an assortment of shops and restaurants, along with two collegiate institutions (including Sarah Lawrence College). Frank Abagnale Jr.—whose life story inspired the movie Catch Me If You Can—was born in the village, where the Kennedys also once lived. 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 6,403 
 
 Median home sales price: $2.325 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A Classic Revival-style charmer currently listed at $7.295 million ||||| 5 Reasons To Shop For A Home In December 
 
 While it’s easy to identify the largest and most affluent metropolises in the United States, it’s far more difficult to pinpoint the priciest suburb closest to each major city. So real estate firm Engel & Völkers examined the fringes of the country’s 10 most populated urban spreads to determine just that. 
 
 Here’s a rundown of the well-to-do towns that made the list, ordered from least to greatest in terms of the corresponding major city’s population. 
 
 Los Altos Hills, CA 
 
 Bordering San Jose, Los Altos Hills is one of Silicon Valley’s most esteemed residential enclaves. With rolling hills and unparalleled bay views, it’s a popular home base for tech titans—including Cisco president John Chambers—and baseball legend Barry Bonds. (To boot, among its plethora of multimillion-dollar havens is the $10,000-a-night Airbnb mansion Beyoncé rented before performing at Super Bowl 50’s halftime show.) 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 8,334 
 
 Median home sales price: $3.45 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A five-bedroom, 12-bath home now priced at $88 million 
 
 Westlake, TX 
 
 Nestled on the outskirts of Dallas, Westlake is one of Texas’ most enviable communities. A Certified Gold Scenic City, it contains the Vaquero Club (one of the most exclusive private clubs in the nation) and the prestigious Westlake Academy, along with several corporate campuses such as Deloitte University and Fidelity Investments. Noteworthy residents include Glenn Beck, who occupies a 8,000-square-foot house formerly owned by retired MLB player Jorge Piedra and his Swarovski heiress wife, Vanessa. Properties currently up for grabs (sans celebrity ties) include this $4 million Mediterranean-style home. 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 1,096 
 
 Median home sales price: $2 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: An 11,248-square-foot mansion presently listed at $6.299 million 
 
 Rancho Santa Fe, CA 
 
 A stone’s throw away from San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe houses a slew of wealthy notables—from baseball bigwig Bud Black to billionaire businessman Bill Gates (who purchased his horse ranch for $18 million from weight loss guru Jenny Craig). Former denizens include singers Patti Page, Bing Crosby, Jewel, and Janet Jackson; NASA astronaut Pete Conrad (the third man to walk on the moon); golfer Phil Mickelson; and filmmaker Howard Hughes. Among the beautiful abodes now on the market in the area is this 7,400-square-foot, two-acre spread, now priced at $3.888 million. 
 
 Population (as of 2010): 3,117 
 
 Median home sales price: $2.119 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A 210-acre ranch with an 8,148-square-foot home now asking $85 million 
 
 Terrell Hills, TX 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 5,088 
 
 Median home sales price: $1.322 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A four-bedroom, five-bath home presently priced at $2.077 million 
 
 Five miles from downtown San Antonio, Terrell Hills is just minutes away from the vibrant city, widely regarded as one of the most culturally rich places in southwest Texas. Historic and cultural landmarks including the Riverwalk, Witte Museum, and the Alamo are at arm’s reach for inhabitants of the illustrious town, who include Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones. 
 
 Paradise Valley, AZ 
 
 Back in the day, Paradise Valley catered to farmers and their cattle. But today it’s regarded as Phoenix’s most coveted suburb and one of Arizona’s most popular tourist spots, touting a number of luxury resorts and must-see attractions. Framed by magnificent mountains, the desert oasis counts boxers Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, along with former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle among its past residents. Picturesque properties for sale in the area include this 6,905-square-foot, $5 million contemporary. 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 13,387 
 
 Median home sales price: $1.1 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A five-acre Mediterranean estate with a 25,416-square-foot main house now listed at $25 million 
 
 Bryn Mawr, PA 
 
 Bryn Mawr—which translates to “great hill” in Welsh—rests 10 miles outside of Philadelphia, in a moneyed region known as the Main Line. Teeming with distinguished schools, high-end boutiques, and fine-dining restaurants, the lush stretch is tied to an impressive who’s who, from Katharine Hepburn (who attended Bryan Mawr College) and former President Woodrow Wilson (who taught government at the school) to Kat Dennings (who grew up there) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emlen Tunnell. 
 
 Population (as of 2010): 3,779 
 
 Median home sales price: $760,292 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A 6,500-square-foot haven nestled on over five acres currently asking $4.25 million 
 
 Southside Place, TX 
 
 Southside Place is known for its family-friendly nature and close proximity to Houston. Spanning a mere 10 blocks, the charming expanse has an abundance of pools, parks, and reputable public schools, making it a great white-picket-fence escape from the bustling city. 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 1,784 
 
 Median home sales price: $1.253 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A Prairie-style house with four bedrooms and four baths now priced at $2.395 million 
 
 Glencoe, IL 
 
 Twenty miles north of Chicago lies the Village of Glencoe—a quaint community teeming with green, bordered by Lake Michigan, the Cook County Forest preserve, and Glencoe Golf Course. TV star Fred Savage and film actors Bruce Dern and Lili Taylor all grew up in the small town, which was also once home to vacuum cleaner king Earle Hoover, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Archibald MacLeish, and Judge James Wilkerson (who put Al Capone behind bars). 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 8,854 
 
 Median home sales price: $1.3 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A six-bedroom, English Country-style manor presently listed at $7.5 million 
 
 Bel Air, CA 
 
 Ensconced beneath the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, Bel Air has served as the backdrop for innumerable film and television productions in the past and boasts countless A-list residents—among them, Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk (whose 20,248-square-foot haven cost $17 million) and Jennifer Aniston (who spent $21 million on her 8,500-square-foot estate). Erstwhile dwellers include Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy, film icon Alfred Hitchcock, British screen legend Elizabeth Taylor, and Nancy and Ronald Reagan. 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 17,613 
 
 Median home sales price: $3.45 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A yet-to-be-built bespoke behemoth, set to be priced at $75 million (for 23,000 square-feet) or $115 million (for 59,000 square feet) 
 
 Bronxville, NY 
 
 Fifteen miles north of the Big Apple, Bronxville is one of Westchester County’s most beguiling suburbs. Measuring only one square mile, the close-knit spread—styled to resemble an English village—showcases an assortment of shops and restaurants, along with two collegiate institutions (including Sarah Lawrence College). Frank Abagnale Jr.—whose life story inspired the movie Catch Me If You Can—was born in the village, where the Kennedys also once lived. 
 
 Population (as of 2013): 6,403 
 
 Median home sales price: $2.325 million 
 
 Most expensive home for sale: A Classic Revival-style charmer currently listed at $7.295 million ||||| (Click here, if you are unable to view this photo gallery on your mobile device.) 
 
 In a region where even people with six-figure incomes struggle to find a place to live, the threshold for who qualifies as “low income” just keeps going up. 
 
 Reflecting the Bay Area’s relentless rise in housing costs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s latest definition of the “low” income level to qualify for certain affordable housing programs stands at $117,400 per year for a household of four people in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties. 
 
 That’s up more than 10 percent from last year and is the highest in the nation. 
 
 Households in those three counties that are considered “very low” income bring in as much as $73,300 per year and the threshold for “extremely low” for a family of four is $44,000, according to HUD’s recently released 2018 limits. The median family income for those areas is $118,400, according to HUD. 
 
 Santa Clara County is close behind. There, a household of four bringing in $94,450 is now considered low income under the HUD guidelines, and for Alameda and Contra Costa counties, $89,600 is the low-income threshold. 
 
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 The federal income limits, which set a threshold that determines who can qualify for affordable and subsidized housing programs such as Section 8 vouchers, have risen for at least the last four consecutive years. 
 
 But they’re still not keeping pace with the price of housing in some areas. The median price of resale homes has increased 25 percent in the past year in Santa Clara County, 11.8 percent in Alameda and 10 percent in Contra Costa. In May, the median price for a single family home in the Bay Area reached a record $935,000, according to real estate data firm Core Logic. 
 
 “It just demonstrates how broken and unsustainable our housing market is,” said Amie Fishman, executive director of the Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California. “More and more people are unable to afford housing.” 
 
 At his job as a third-grade bilingual education teacher at Lincoln Elementary, Richmond resident Jesus Galindo makes roughly $60,000 per year. The “low income” threshold for a single person in Contra Costa County by HUD guidelines is $62,750. 
 
 In many respects, Galindo feels well-off financially. He bought a house in Richmond about three years ago, he said, on which he estimates he spends 33 percent of his income each month. He lives within walking distance of the school where he teaches, so his transportation costs are minimal and he rarely shops for clothes or splurges on any luxuries. But that does not mean he’s not immune to the financial concerns shared by many in the Bay Area. 
 
 He knows what it’s like to live with much less. He moved around the state growing up, as his father struggled sometimes to make even $15,000 in a year in his job as a day laborer and moved the family to find places they could afford. 
 
 His parents currently live in Los Banos, which is having its own affordability issues as more people move there, Galindo said, but the idea that his parents cannot afford to live in the Bay Area is difficult. 
 
 “For someone who loves the Bay Area, and loves Richmond,” he said, “that breaks my heart.” 
 
 Galindo wonders whether he will ever be able to afford having his own family. 
 
 “Raising a family in the Bay Area is very expensive,” said Galindo, whose partner is also a teacher. “Even though I own my home, babysitting is expensive, the cost of food is expensive.” 
 
 And he sees the impact of the Bay Area’s rising rents on both his teacher colleagues and the families of students he teaches. 
 
 “The families I work with in Richmond … they can’t afford to live here anymore, they’re pushed out,” he said. 
 
 The 2018 HUD increases broaden the pool of people eligible for some federal housing programs or subsidies, but they’re unlikely to make much difference in a region already suffering from a shortage of affordable housing. 
 
 Michael Santero, director of asset management for San Jose-based nonprofit affordable housing developer and manager First Community Housing, said waitlists are often years-long and turnover is low. 
 
 According to HUD, low-income families are defined as families whose incomes do not exceed 80 percent of the median family income for the area. Very low-income families are defined as those whose incomes do not exceed 50 percent of the median. But to accommodate high-housing cost areas like the Bay Area, the limits are adjusted in a way that exceed those percentages. 
 
 Santero said that while most of the First Community Housing properties house families whose incomes are below 60 percent of the median, he’s not surprised to see that people at the 90 percent level are in need of affordable housing, considering the price of market rents in the Bay Area, which average between $2,500 and $3,500 locally, according to a recent RentCafe study. 
 
 One in three households in California — about 3.3 million families — are struggling to reach a decent standard of living, even though most of those households include full-time workers, according to United Ways of California. 
 
 In a recently released report, the nonprofit coalition said its measure for a decent standard of living included the cost of housing, childcare, transportation, healthcare and food. Families below the federal poverty level spend as much as 79 percent of their income on their homes, according to the report. 
 
 The Bay Area’s HUD income limits outstrip Los Angeles, where the HUD-determined low-income threshold for a family of four is $77,500, and New York City, notorious for its high costs of housing, where the limit for the same size household is $83,450. 
 
 “California needs 1 million more units of affordable housing for people at the very low and extremely low (income limits) — those struggling the most,” said Fishman. 
 
 While some argue that simply producing more housing at market-rate levels will alleviate the crunch, Fishman said a more active approach is required. 
 
 “The market will never produce homes for people at that level,” she said. “The market produces housing for those at the top.” 
 
 Related Articles Here’s how bad inflation is in the Bay Area 
 
 Bay Area report: Great for some professionals, but hard for workers 
 
 Top three most expensive places for renters: all are in Bay Area While she hopes a state bond that will be on the ballot this November to allocate more funds for affordable housing will help, she said the next California governor is going to have to take this issue “head on.” 
 
 The increase of HUD’s income limits, Fishman said, is “exactly the indicator of how broken the market is, how unsustainable it is, and how the affordability crisis has gone up the income scale.”
– Think moving to the 'burbs will save you money? Not in these neighborhoods. Real estate firm Engel & Völkers has identified the priciest suburb around each of America's 10 most populous urban areas, based on the median home price. The top five, per Forbes: Bel Air outside Los Angeles: $3.45 million Los Altos Hills outside San Jose: $3.45 million Bronxville outside New York City: $2.33 million Rancho Santa Fe outside San Diego: $2.12 million Westlake outside Dallas: $2 million Click for the full list or the strongest and weakest housing markets.