Mapped: here are the richest places in every part of England and Wales
This article demonstrates the confusing potential of maps. It highlights the middle super output area in each local authority in England with the highest wages.
The rural local authority areas look to have bigger areas of wealth, however as there is a standard size for msoas (2000 or so people) all the size reveals is how big an area you have to draw in each place to cover 2000 people. In rural areas with fewer people the area needs to be bigger. It doesn’t mean there are more rich people, just that the population is more spread out.
Secondly the income figures take no account of commuting, its where you work that determines your wealth not where you live. In fact the broken link between living and working in the same area, largely the fault of planning which concentrates employment in larger settlements has made places increasingly unsustainable. Often the areas where the richest live have very few jobs and low paid ones at that. Witness the notion of the B&B Village as a concept, where the only things around during the day are the elderly and a few tumbleweeds. Anyway if you would prefer to take this article at face value read on:
Enter the name of a town or city in the search box in the map above, or zoom in to find out where those with the greatest incomes live.
Tap on each area – marked in red – for information on average weekly earnings in that region.
There may be some correlation between the areas where people earn more, and where the wealthiest live.