Let’s review the upscale metropolitan Wealthy Influential lifestyle and then turn to four more found in the surrounding suburban area.
Blue Blood Estates is a family portrait of suburban wealth, a place of million-dollar homes and manicured lawns, high-end cars and exclusive private clubs.
With the help of our knowledge bank, you can choose for variations in your new neighborhood by:
But to zero in on the best place for you you’ll have to visit and schedule time to explore potential new homes in a region.
Oh, darn!
Lifestyles Segments: Urban to Rustic Density
Urban and Suburban Populations
Urban
Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM defines Urban areas (U) as having population density scores between 85 and 99.
“They include both the downtowns of major cities and surrounding neighborhoods.
These areas often extend beyond the city limits and into surrounding jurisdictions.”
Should you include these Birds-of-a Feather (BOF) residential lifestyles on your Bucket List?
Let’s review the upscale metropolitan Wealthy Influential lifestyle and then turn to four more found in the surrounding suburban area.
Wealthy Influential, Affluently Elite (WIAE) – 45+ year old Empty-Nest Couples
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
Urban Uptown segments are home to the nation’s wealthiest urban consumers.
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 9,480,843
- Median Household Income : $65,583
“Members of this social group tend to be affluent to middle class, college educated and ethnically diverse, with above average concentrations of Asian and Hispanic Americans.
Although this group is diverse in terms of housing styles and family sizes, residents share an upscale urban perspective that’s reflected in their marketplace choices.
Urban Uptown consumers tend to frequent the arts, shop at exclusive retailers, drive luxury imports, travel abroad and spend heavily on computer and wireless technology.”
Where will you find this lifestyle?
In California on the outskirts of Long Beach near Los Angeles County, but in Orange County:
Seal Beach, CA
How well does this lifestyle profile fit you?
07M1U1, Money & Brains, 45+, Couples, Affluent Empty Nests, Urban Uptown, WIAE Affluently Elite, Wealthy Influentials (Seal Beach, CA)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 2,257,088 (1.93%)
- Median Household Income: $88,813
Affluently Elite (WIAE): “The residents of Money & Brains seem to have it all: high incomes, advanced degrees, and sophisticated tastes to match their credentials.
Many of these city dwellers are married couples with few children who live in fashionable homes on small, manicured lots.
Lifestyle & Media Traits
- Shop at Nordstrom
- Contribute to NPR
- Read Sunday newspaper
- Watch Ebert & Roeper
- Drive a Jaguar XJL”
Let’s now consider suburban populations.
Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM ranks suburbs as having a medium density, although they may in fact be surrounded by high density urban areas.
“Population density rises as you approach the city, and decreases as you move away from it.”
In 2011 roughly 23.4% of the population in the United States lived in the nation’s suburbs.
And Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM said:
“Suburbs have population density scores between 40 and 90, and are clearly dependent on urban areas or second cities.”
Should you include these Birds-of-a Feather (BOF) lifestyles on your Bucket List?
Wealthy Influential, Affluently Elite (WIAE) – 30-44 year old Midlife Couples, 45+ year old Empty-Nest Couples and two 45+ year old Families
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 6,061,268
- Median Household Income : $109,636
“The most affluent suburban social group, Elite Suburbs is a world of six-figure incomes, post-graduate degrees, single-family homes and managerial and professional occupations
The segments here are predominantly white with significant concentrations of well-off Asian Americans.
Befitting their lofty salaries, they are big consumers of large homes, expensive clothes, luxury cars and foreign travel.
Despite representing a small portion of the U.S. population, they hold a large share of the nation’s personal net worth.”
Where will you find those four lifestyles?
You’ll find communities in Arizona, California, Oregon and Utah.
Scottsdale, AZ
Half Moon Bay, CA
West Linn, OR
Alta, UT
Which of the following lifestyles best describes you?
03Y1S1, Movers & Shakers, 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Elite Suburbs, Affluently Elite – WIAE, Wealthy Influentials (Scottsdale, AZ)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 1,878,356 (1.61%)
- Median Household Income: $103,357
Affluently Elite (WIAE): “Movers & Shakers is home to America’s up-and-coming business class: a wealthy suburban world of dual-income couples who are highly educated, typically between the ages of 35 and 54 and often with children.
Given its high percentage of executives and white-collar professionals, there’s a decided business bent to this segment:
Movers & Shakers rank number one for owning a small business and having a home office. 
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
- Ordered from J.Crew
- Attended NHL games
- Read Inc.
- Watched Saturday Night Live
- Drove a Land Rover Range Rover”
01M1S1, Upper Crust, 45+, Couple, Affluent Empty-Nests, Elite Suburbs, Affluently Elite – WIAE, Wealthy Influentials (Half Moon Bay, CA)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 1,770,473 (1.52%)
- Median Household Income: $114,402
Affluently Elite (WIAE): “The nation’s most exclusive address, Upper Crust is the wealthiest lifestyle in America a haven for empty-nesting couples over 55 years old.
No segment has a higher concentration of residents earning over $100,000 (now $200,000) a year or possessing a postgraduate degree. And none has a more opulent standard of living.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
- Shopped at Saks Fifth Ave.
- Belonged to a country club
- Read Conde Nast Traveler
- Watched Golf Channel
- Drove a Mercedes SL Class”
02F1S1, Blue Blood Estates, 45+ Families, Elite Suburbs, Affluently Elite – WIAE, Wealthy Influentials (West Linn, OR)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 1,129,199 (0.97%)
- Median Household Income: $119,314
Affluently Elite (WIAE): “Blue Blood Estates is a family portrait of suburban wealth, a place of million-dollar homes and manicured lawns, high-end cars and exclusive private clubs.
The nation’s second-wealthiest lifestyle, it is characterized by married couples with children, college degrees, a significant percentage of Asian Americans and six figure incomes earned by business executives, managers and professionals.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
- Shop at Thomasville
- Play tennis
- Read Architectural Digest
- Watch video-on-demand
- Drives an Audi A8″
06F1S1, Winner’s Circle, 45+, Families, Accumulated Wealth, Elite Suburbs, WIAE Affluently Elite , Wealthy Influentials (Alta, UT)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 1,283,240 (1.10%)
- Median Household Income: $105,785
Affluently Elite (WIAE): “Among the wealthy suburban lifestyles, Winner’s Circle is the youngest, a collection of mostly 25- to 34-year-old couples with large families in new-money subdivisions.
Surrounding their homes are the signs of upscale living: recreational parks, golf courses and upscale malls.
With a median income of nearly $90,000, Winner’s Circle residents are big spenders who like to travel, ski, go out to eat, shop at clothing boutiques and take in a show.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
- Shop at Neiman Marcus
- Go jogging
- Read Wall Street Journal
- Watch Wimbledon Tennis
- Mercedes GL Class”
Will you find a 100% fit?
No.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
If you plan to relocate, start visiting communities on your short bucket list.
Don’t have a short list yet?
Steps:
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?