shutterstock-2449868129

Here are the neighborhoods where the wealthiest people live in Paris

undefined undefined 20 avril 2026 undefined 18h05

undefined undefined 9 juin 2026 undefined 17h03

The Editor

© Catarina Belova / Shutter Stock

The Observatory of Inequalities has just released its report on where the wealthiest people in the capital live. But while Paris is one of the most expensive cities in France, with many disparities between different neighborhoods, where do the rich among the rich actually live?

We won’t lie to you, the result isn’t going to surprise you much. Western Paris takes the cake, as usual. Senior executives, business owners, professionals... They’ve all set up their homes in the same neighborhoods, widening the gap with the rest of Paris.


The winning combo

At the very top of the ranking, four districts stand out from the rest. At the bottom of the podium, tied for third place, the 6th and 16th already show 42% of their residents above the French wealth threshold (which is €4,292 per month per person after taxes). In second place, we have the 8th with the Europe and Monceau districts boasting a proud 45% of residents considered wealthy. And, without any surprise, at the top of the ranking is the 7th. Always faithful to its spot.

In the richest district of Paris, it's estimated that one in two residents is wealthy, but it doesn’t...It's not all. Around one household out of five, or 4,539, pays the property wealth tax, which is simply huge: only 0.6% of households in all of France are affected by this tax. Not bad for just a few streets between the Invalides and the Champ-de-Mars.


A Matter of Wind, History, and Gentrification

The answer to the question « Why on earth did they choose the west ? » is one word: wind. In the 19th century, the dominant winds blowing from west to east meant that factories and their smoke naturally settled in the east of the city, where the air would finish its journey. The wealthy classes quickly understood the benefit of establishing themselves on the West, away from the smells and pollution.

However, things are changing. For about twenty years now, gentrification has been gradually nibbling away at the neighborhoods of eastern Paris: Oberkampf, Ménilmontant, Bastille, and the Canal Saint...nt-Martin have seen their rents soar, their bistros turning into coffee shops, and their populations changing. The inequalities between the East and the West remain some of the most pronounced in France, but the landscape is slowly shifting, and that's a breath of fresh air!