Wondering where the wealth is? Residents of these 25 places have the highest median family incomes in the country.(Hot247.Us) 1. New Canaan, CT New Canaan, CT Population: 19,690 Median family income: $231,138 Median home price: $1,465,000 New York City's elite once chose New Canaan as a vacation town, but they liked it so much, they decided to stay there year-round and turn it into one of the nation's wealthiest residential communities. Architects like Philip Johnson also liked New Canaan and turned it into a showcase for some of the most stunning examples of modern architecture in the world. You may have caught a peek at some of the town's multimillion-dollar homes if you watched the 1997 film drama, "The Ice Storm." 2. Darien, CT Darien, CT Population: 20,209 Median family income: $218,130 Median home price: $1,220,000 You can tell the locals by the way they say the name: It rhymes with "Mary Ann," not "Marion." Just down the road from New Canaan along Connecticut's Gold Coast, Darien's views of Long Island Sound might inspire you to pick up a paintbrush or join one of the town's numerous boat, beach or country clubs. Like its neighbor to the north, Darien was once a vacation community for New York City's upper crust who decided to lay down year-round roots. 3. Lake Forest, IL Lake Forest, IL Population: 21,320 Median family income: $212,122 Median home price: $1,000,000 By the beginning of the 20th century, a list of Lake Forest's residents read like a "Who's Who" of Chicago's rich and famous. That tradition continues to this day in the exclusive North Shore suburb. With a town plan heavily influenced by English gardens, Lake Forest is home to mansions and vast estates seated on the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan. Originally built to support church-related schools in the 1860s, the town surrounds the 107-acre residential campus of Lake Forest College as well as Lake Forest Academy, one of the country's best prep schools. 4. Saratoga, CA Saratoga, CA Population: 30,045 Median family income: $196,420 Median home price: $1,500,000 Deep in California's Santa Clara Valley, Saratoga was once best known as the home of the Paul Masson Winery, which - if you recall - would sell no wine before its time. Well, times have changed. The winery is still there, but so are the best and brightest of Silicon Valley, whose fortunes have spilled over into this upscale bedroom community. You can get a decent bottle of wine and a baguette to go with it at many of the area's upscale restaurants and European-themed bakeries. Or travel to one of the town's surrounding vineyards and sample the local vintages. 5. Westport, CT Westport, CT Population: 26,218 Median family income: $193,540 Median home price: $1,200,000 Culture vultures have been making Westport home for more than a century, but they've traded their paintbrushes for season tickets. Once an artist's colony, Westport is now better known as an affluent bedroom community on Long Island Sound that's held on to its cultural roots. You can check out an exhibit at the Westport Arts Center, catch an outdoor concert at the Levitt Pavillion, attend an A-list show at the Westport Country Playhouse, or watch the locals strut their stuff at the Westport Community Theater. Martha Stewart launched her empire more than 25 years ago from one of the town's ubiquitous colonial farmhouses, but don't expect to run into the domestic doyenne down on Main St. She's moved on, and now calls Katonah, N.Y. home. 6. Los Altos, CA Los Altos, CA Population: 27,483 Median family income: $189,839 Median home price: $1,500,000 It's in an area once called "The Valley of Hearts Delight," where acres of apricot orchards flourished. But now the heart of Los Altos beats deep in Silicon Valley. The village, in San Francisco's Bay Area, has become a haven for techland's top earners. Still, the birthplace of Hewlett-Packard prides itself on maintaining a semi-rural feel. A few orchards remain, and hardly a sidewalk is to be found outside of commercial areas. And remember - you are in wine country. For nearly 30 years, the locals have held a wine and arts festival every summer. 7. Potomac, MD Potomac, MD Population: 46,662 Median family income: $183,258 Median home price: $833,400 The locals still call it horse country, but much of Potomac has been turned over to the Washington, D.C., area's wealthiest residents. Multimillion-dollar homes and estates fill the town, which sits on the banks of the river for which it was named. If you are of an equestrian bent, the area still offers a number of riding schools, breeders and stables. The Potomac Horse Center, a public facility leased from the state, offers an extensive teaching program for riders at all levels. 8. McLean, VA McLean, VA Population: 40,715 Median family income: $180,103 Median home price: $840,000 If you want your neighbors to be rich AND powerful, move to McLean. Vice President Dick Cheney is said to be building a home there for when he leaves the West Wing. Other residents from both ends of the political spectrum include Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Democratic senators Ted Kennedy and Patrick Leahy. And if you live in McLean, be careful who's listening: The CIA is headquartered in the town's Langley area. 9. Wellesley, MA Wellesley, MA Population: 26,113 Median family income: $172,900 Median home price: $861,000 Get your book on in Wellesley. The Boston suburb is home to the school of the same name, which is consistently rated as one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges. Notable alumni include Senator Hillary Clinton, journalist Diane Sawyer, former secretary of state Madeleine Albright and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, the former first lady of the Republic of China. Head to Wellesley Square in the center of town each April to cheer on the runners of the Boston Marathon as they hit the halfway point. 10. University Park, TX University Park, TX Population: 24,182 Median family income: $170,150 Median home price: $997,500 How did the home of Southern Methodist University make the list? Maybe the graduates of its top-rated Cox School of Business liked it so much they decided to stay. University Park started as a group of houses surrounding SMU almost 100 years ago. Since then it's been swallowed up by Dallas' urban sprawl, but the area still likes to maintain its identity. 11. Bethesda, MD Bethesda, MD Population: 59,066 Median family income: $167,043 Median home price: $758,000 Don't tell Bethesda it's just another D.C. suburb. It's home to the some of the nation's most important institutions, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Institutes of Health and the Bethesda Naval Hospital where the president heads for his annual checkup. Commander-in-chief cachet aside, the city prides itself on a lively arts and culture scene with art galleries, a summer concert series, outdoor festivals and an annual juried competition for area artists. 12. Southlake, TX Southlake, TX Population: 25,748 Median family income: $166,878 Median home price: $542,640 Come see the Friday night lights in Southlake. Football is not a sport in Texas - it's a religion. And you'd be hard-pressed to find a more devoted following than the parents, families and friends who root for the Southlake Carroll Dragons - one of the best high school teams in the nation. Their season starts in September, but season tickets go on sale in May, and you better bring a sleeping bag, because the faithful camp out in front of the ticket office the night before. 13. Danville, CA Danville, CA Population: 41,540 Median family income: $160,560 Median home price: $875,000 Ah Danville! At the height of his career, Eugene O'Neill, chose the farm community as the spot to write some of his most famous plays: "The Iceman Cometh," "Long Day's Journey into Night," and "A Moon for the Misbegotten." O'Neill and most of the farms have long since gone into the night, and now Danville is one of the Bay Area's wealthiest suburbs. But the legacy of America's only Nobel Prize winning playwright lives on at Tao House, his old homestead, which has been converted to a foundation celebrating his work. 14. Greenwich, CT Greenwich, CT Population: 62,751 Median family income: $157,232 Median home price: $1,449,500 Greenwich rounds out our quartet of Fairfield County towns in the top 25, which also includes New Canaan, Darien and Westport. Like those neighbors, Greenwich is one of New York City's most exclusive suburbs, but its roots go far beyond being just a bedroom community. Greenwich was founded in 1640 by English settlers who bought the land from local Native Americans for 25 English coats. The high-stakes wheeling and dealing continues: More than 100 hedge funds have set up shop there, lured by Greenwich's tax-friendly climate. 15. Ridgewood, NJ Ridgewood, NJ Population: 24,639 Median family income: $153,436 Median home price: $669,500 Residents of this upscale Bergen County village don't have to cross the river to New York for top-notch classical music. For 25 years, the Ridgewood Concert Band has culled the local ranks to create a world-class community band. Members have ranged from students and local music teachers to former members of the New York Philharmonic - and they all do it for free. Prior to the 2008 Olympics this summer, the group will embark on a two-week concert tour of China. 16. Manhattan Beach, CA Manhattan Beach, CA Population: 36,665 Median family income: $151,258 Median home price: $1,625,000 Manhattan Beach got its name about 100 years ago through a coin-toss between the area's two biggest landowners. ("Shore Acres" was the loser). Now referees toss a coin to see who gets to serve first at the annual Manhattan Beach Open, which has been called the "Wimbledon" of beach volleyball. If you'd rather swim, sun or surf, there are more than 2.1 miles of beach front and 40 acres of recreational beach area in this greater Los Angeles-area town that has earned the nickname, "Pearl of the South Bay." 17. La Canada Flintridge, CA La Canada Flintridge, CA Population: 20,989 Median family income: $150,985 Median home price: $1,315,000 This L.A. suburb was created after two communities tied the knot about 30 years ago: La Canada, with roots in what was once a Mexican ranch, and Flintridge, named by Frank Flint, an early 20th century U.S. Senator and local developer. As Los Angeles' urban sprawl spread, area farms and orchards gave way to L.A. commuters looking for a little peace and quiet in Crescenta Valley. La Canada Flintridge is also home to the Descanso Gardens, a botanic garden that specializes in camellias. 18. Bloomfield Township, MI Bloomfield Township, MI Population: 42,650 Median family income: $150,969 Median home price: $314,605 The world's best golfers gather this August in Bloomfield for the season's final Major: the 90th annual PGA Championship. Oakland Hills Country Club's South Course, also known as "The Monster," has hosted 16 Major championships including the Ryder Cup, three PGA Championships - including this year's - and six U.S. Opens. Bloomfield Township almost completely surrounds the city of Bloomfield, one of Detroit's wealthiest suburbs where top auto executives wheel home after a hard day in Motor City before they hit the links. 19. Los Gatos, CA Los Gatos, CA Population: 28,366 Median family income: $150,556 Median home price: $1,065,000 The most curious feature of Los Gatos guards the driveway of an estate on the edge of town: two eight-foot-tall statues of cats that the locals have affectionately named "Leo" and "Leona." Townspeople love the couple so much, they've incorporated them into the town's official logo. One would think Los Gatos (Spanish for "the cats") was named for the stone felines, but the Santa Clara Valley town is actually named for the original big (live) cats that once roamed the area. Now Silicon Valley's elite roam the Los Gatos wineries, parks and mountain-bike trails. 20. Wilmette, IL Wilmette, IL Population: 26,737 Median family income: $149,667 Median home price: $717,500 First-time visitors driving up Sheridan Road through Chicago's North Shore suburbs can't miss Wilmette's most striking landmark: the Baha'i House of Worship, whose dome rises 135 feet above its main floor. Move further inland from Lake Michigan, and you're in one of Chicago's coziest bedroom communities. A bit less monumental - but no less significant - than the temple, are the numerous examples of Prairie School architecture throughout the village, including two Frank Lloyd Wright homes. 21. Lafayette, CA Lafayette, CA Population: 24,877 Median family income: $149,597 Median home price: $1,050,000 Lafayette we are here! What was once a pit-stop for the Pony Express is now an upscale residential community just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. Lafayette boasts all the amenities of small-town life: good schools, low crime rates, a manageable downtown and a mild climate. For much of its history, it was a quiet farming village, but like many other small communities surrounding San Francisco, the post World War II boom brought a flood of new homes. City planners are in the middle of a redevelopment plan that aims to modernize downtown without losing its original character. 22. Dranesville, VA Dranesville, VA Population: 112,378 Median family income: $149,294 Median home price: $590,000 Tucked in a corner of Northern Virginia, unincorporated Dranesville is primarily an upscale residential community, but a quick trip outside its quiet environs takes you to the attractions of surrounding Fairfax County. Catch a show at Wolf Trap, the nation's only national park dedicated to the performing arts. Head to Tysons Corner for some of the best shopping south of Fifth Avenue. Or relive a Civil War battle in more than a dozen sites scattered throughout the area. 23. Deerfield, IL Deerfield, IL Population: 19,664 Median family income: $148,612 Median home price: $497,500 Deerfield prides itself on its family-friendliness. Year-round activities include summer's Family Days, a two-day event with fireworks, a parade, arts and crafts, rides and games. The Historical Society Fall Festival celebrates the village's pioneer past with food, entertainment, reenactments and a children's pioneer costume contest. And in the winter, the locals celebrate Holiday on the Plaza, where children can sit on Santa's lap and go on horse-drawn sleigh rides. The town's rain-or-shine farmers markets offer handmade Wisconsin cheese, organic vegetables and a variety of flowers, and the Deerfield Park District Golf Course holds an annual golf outing each fall. 24. Highland Park, IL Highland Park, IL Population: 31,614 Median family income: $148,131 Median home price: $600,000 When the mercury climbs in the Windy City's notoriously hot summers, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra packs its instruments and heads to the North Shore suburb of Highland Park. For more than 70 years, the Ravinia Park musical complex there has played host to the CSO during the summer months. The orchestra performs in a 3,200-seat open-air, covered pavilion that also features some of the biggest names in jazz, blues and pop music. 25. Garden City, NY Garden City, NY Population: 21,811 Median family income: $147,804 Median home price: $840,000 Garden City was created for the wealthy by the wealthy. Multimillionaire Alexander Turney Stewart founded the Long Island village in 1869 to provide a haven for the upper classes who wanted to escape New York City. One of the nation's earliest planned communities, Garden City even had its railroad line. Charles Lindbergh made his historic solo trans-Atlantic flight from Roosevelt Field on the eastern side of town. A shopping center, called the Roosevelt Field Mall, now stands on the site. Hot247.Us (Via: CNN)