The 24 Richest Stores in America Are All in Greater Boston
TIME magazine released its list of the 25 richest stores in America earlier this week, and thanks to the I-495 Corridor’s smattering of malls, the ranking has a distinct local flair.
The folks at TIME Labs ranked nearly 3,000 nationwide chains by comparing the median income of the counties where their stores are located, only considering ones with stores in 20 or more states. Of the top 25 chains, all but one have locations in the Greater Boston area—No. 25, Baja Fresh, has yet to make its advent.
The local prominence of these stores in the area owes a great deal to the area’s malls—the Natick Mall, the Burlington Mall, the Northshore Mall in Peabody, the South Shore Plaza in Braintree—as well as Newbury Street and Copley Place in the Back Bay.
TIME Labs also broke down their rankings by industry, yielding a few surprises. For example, Trader Joe’s—shimmering $3 shiraz-filled oasis for broke Millennials in the vicinity of Coolidge Corner—serves the wealthiest customers, narrowly edging out Whole Foods and its $6 asparagus water.
Below is TIME‘s list of the 25 richest stores in America, with each chain’s Massachusetts locations east of I-495.
| Rank | Store | Stuff Sold | Median Income of Counties | Greater Boston Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanna Andersson | Swedish children's clothing | $70,262 | Burlington, Hingham, Natick |
| 2 | Paper Source | Stationery, gifts | $68,084 | Boston, Brookline, Cambridge |
| 3 | Tesla | Electric cars | $67,145 | Watertown |
| 4 | Papyrus | Stationery, gifts | $66,881 | Boston (2), Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, Newton, Braintree, Burlington, Wellesley, Peabody, Natick, Salem |
| 5 | Juicy Couture | Women's apparel | $66,778 | Boston |
| 6 | Nordstrom | Men and women's apparel | $66,734 | Boston, Braintree, Burlington (2), Peabody, Danvers, Natick, Framingham |
| 7 | Tory Burch | Women's apparel | $66,483 | Boston |
| 8 | Bartlett Tree Experts | Tree services | $66,346 | Waltham, Cohasset, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Beverly, Hanover |
| 9 | Athleta | Women's sportswear | $66,021 | Boston, Chestnut Hill, Dedham, Burlington, Lynnfield, Natick |
| 10 | Arhaus | Furniture | $65,899 | Burlington, Natick |
| 11 | A Pea in the Pod | Maternity clothing, nursing accessories | $65,655 | Boston |
| 12 | Armani Exchange | Menswear | $65,529 | Boston, Cambridge, Braintree, Peabody, Wrentham |
| 13 | California Pizza Kitchen | Pizza | $65,483 | Boston, Cambridge, Braintree, Wellesley, Natick |
| 14 | Aerosoles | Footwear | $65,241 | Wrentham |
| 15 | Garage | Clothing | $65,187 | Natick, Braintree |
| 16 | Sur La Table | Cooking supplies | $65,150 | Boston, Chestnut Hill, Braintree, Burlington, Natick |
| 17 | The Cheesecake Factory | Food | $65,149 | Boston, Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, Braintree, Burlington, Natick, Peabody |
| 18 | True Religion | Jeans | $65,133 | Boston (2), Natick, Wrentham |
| 19 | Madewell | Women's apparel | $64,909 | Boston, Chestnut Hill, Dedham, Hingham, Burlington, Natick |
| 20 | Burberry | Men and women's apparel | $64,878 | Boston (2), Burlington, Natick |
| 21 | Pacific Sales | Appliances | $64,762 | Watertown |
| 22 | Free People | Women's apparel | $64,744 | Boston, Cambridge, Burlington, Natick, Dedham |
| 23 | Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse | Shoes | $64,743 | Danvers, Medford |
| 24 | Timberland | Apparel | $64,742 | Boston |
| 25 | Baja Fresh | Mexican food | $64,692 | N/A |
