Rich people may like to travel, but like everyone else they want to keep their daily commute as short as possible. So when it comes to buying a home, they want to be close to work, and because they're rich they can pretty much be where they like. But they also like safe neighborhoods, good schools, pretty views, and, if possible, access to beaches and country clubs. Small wonder then that those towns which offer all the above and are nearest to the crossroads of money and power are among the priciest in the nation. Of course, sometimes the reverse is true. The very rich also tend to have at least one second home, so the places where they gravitate—the Hamptons, Martha's Vineyard, Palm Beach—may be chosen for their distance from the office. Businessweek.com worked with real estate website Zillow.com to rank the most expensive small towns around the country based on their median home value. A total of 4,624 places with populations less than 10,000 were evaluated. Two states dominate the list: New York with 22 towns and California with 13 towns. Other states in this ranking include Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington. A newcomer to the list is Tennessee, where Belle Meade came in as the 48th most expensive small town. Click here to see the country's 50 most expensive small towns, where median home values all exceed $1 million.
Rich people may like to travel, but like everyone else they want to keep their daily commute as short as possible. So when it comes to buying a home, they want to be close to work, and because they're rich they can pretty much be where they like. But they also like safe neighborhoods, good schools, pretty views, and, if possible, access to beaches and country clubs. Small wonder then that those towns which offer all the above and are nearest to the crossroads of money and power are among the priciest in the nation. Of course, sometimes the reverse is true. The very rich also tend to have at least one second home, so the places where they gravitate—the Hamptons, Martha's Vineyard, Palm Beach—may be chosen for their distance from the office.

Businessweek.com worked with real estate website Zillow.com to rank the most expensive small towns around the country based on their median home value. A total of 4,624 places with populations less than 10,000 were evaluated. Two states dominate the list: New York with 22 towns and California with 13 towns. Other states in this ranking include Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington. A newcomer to the list is Tennessee, where Belle Meade came in as the 48th most expensive small town.

Click here to see the country's 50 most expensive small towns, where median home values all exceed $1 million.
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America's 50 Most Expensive Small Towns 2011

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