A city's economic power cannot be assessed solely by the overall size of its economy; the sum of income per resident is a more indicative measure. Based on this criterion, American cities hold leading positions in the global ranking.
According to the Global Cities Index 2026 from Oxford Economics, San Jose in the USA leads in per capita income, with an average income of $238,700 per person. Notably, 27 out of the world's 40 cities on this list are American.
This data is based on GDP and population figures for 2025, and the amounts are stated in US dollars. San Jose ranks first with a per capita GDP of $238,700, being the center of many major Silicon Valley technology companies where technology and other large industries are actively developing.
Following it are San Francisco at second place with $181,889 per capita, Dublin as third with $159,732, and Basel as fourth with $156,312. Seattle takes fifth place with $152,030.
Among other significant US cities, Boston ranks eighth with $135,264, and New York ranks tenth with $129,253. Other American cities in the top 20 include Salt Lake City, Durham, Washington D.C., Bridgeport, Hartford, Denver, Des Moines, Los Angeles, Austin, and Nashville.
The ranking of New York serves as a good example for understanding the differences between total GDP and per capita GDP. Although New York's overall economy is very large compared to many other cities, when calculating per capita GDP, economic production is considered relative to the population, not the total size of the economy.
This is why even relatively small cities, such as Salt Lake City, Durham, Des Moines, and Omaha, can make it into the top 40. This means that having a high per capita income does not necessarily require being a very large city.