Hsinchu: Residents of Guanxin ward in Hsinchu City posted Taiwan's highest average annual household income in 2024 at NT$4.592 million (US$143,873), reclaiming the title of the country's wealthiest ward, according to Ministry of Finance (MOF) data released Thursday.

According to Focus Taiwan, Guanxin also topped the nation in median household income at NT$3.434 million, making it not only the highest-earning but also one of Taiwan's most evenly affluent neighborhoods, the MOF's preliminary 2024 individual income tax statistics showed.

The top five highest-income villages were all in northern Taiwan, though the rankings shifted from a year earlier.

Fueled by high-income professionals working in the nearby Hsinchu Science Park, Guanxin returned to No. 1 after being overtaken in 2023 by Zhonghua ward in Taipei's Songshan District.

Yongfu ward in Taipei's Shilin District ranked second with an average household income of NT$3.548 million, followed by Zhonghua ward at NT$3.489 million. However, their median household incomes were much lower-NT$732,000 and NT$993,000, respectively-indicating a wider income gap.

Dongping ward in Zhubei, Hsinchu County, ranked fourth with an average household income of NT$3.436 million (median NT$2.359 million), followed by Longshan ward in Hsinchu City at NT$3.420 million (median NT$2.489 million).

Eight villages nationwide recorded average household incomes above NT$3 million in 2024. The remaining three were Zhongxing ward, Luchang ward, and Aikou ward, all in Zhubei, Hsinchu County.

Outside northern Taiwan, Liantan ward in Tainan's Shanhua District, home to the Tainan Science Park, recorded the highest median household income among the six special municipalities at NT$1.781 million, despite an average household income of NT$2.276 million.

Among cities and counties, Hsinchu City ranked first in average household income at NT$1.523 million, followed by Hsinchu County at NT$1.371 million and Taipei at NT$1.336 million.

Hsinchu City also led the nation in average salary income per tax-filing household at NT$1.154 million, ahead of Hsinchu County (NT$1.061 million) and Taipei (NT$852,000), while Taipei topped average dividend income at NT$385,000, followed by Hsinchu City (NT$228,000) and Taichung (NT$151,000).

The statistics covered about 6.98 million tax-filing households for the 2024 fiscal year.

The MOF noted that the figures are based on taxable income reported in individual income tax filings and exclude government subsidies, tax-exempt income, and separately taxed income, and therefore should not be used as a direct measure of household income or income inequality.