I got access to the richest zip code in the US, an island off Miami where the average income is $2.2 million, the beaches have sand imported from the Bahamas, and the preferred mode of transportation is golf carts. Here's what it looks like.
- The richest zip code in the US is Fisher Island, a 216-acre members-only island off the coast of Miami.
- The average income of the island's residents is $2.2 million.
- About 700 families live in almost 30 luxury condominium buildings on the man-made island, where the median home value is about $3.2 million.
- To become a member, you must pay a $250,000 initial fee and $22,256 in annual dues — and that's on top of purchasing a multimillion-dollar condo.
- I took a private shuttle boat to the exclusive island, and I was amazed by how pristine everything was, from the perfectly manicured landscapes to the private beaches with imported sand from the Bahamas.
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Fisher Island, a man-made island off the coast of Miami, is the richest zip code in the US, according to Bloomberg.
The average income of the island's residents is a whopping $2.2 million.
To become a member of the elite Fisher Island Club, you must pay a one-time $250,000 equity contribution and $22,256 in annual dues. And that's after residents have bought one of the condos on the island, which cost an average of $3.2 million. About 700 families live on Fisher Island in almost 30 luxury condominium buildings.
Dora Puig, the top-ranked real estate broker in Miami-Dade County by sales volume in 2018, who sells some of the most luxurious condos on Fisher Island, told me people move there for three main reasons: privacy, security, and the amenities.
Residents of the island include real-estate developers, high-power litigation attorneys, CEOs, people in the finance industry, and some who are simply "old money," Puig said.
Tech CEOs and hedge-fund managers from New York, Silicon Valley, and other high-tax areas are moving to Miami in droves, and highly amenitized Fisher Island is one of their top picks.
Members of the Fisher Island Club get access to private beaches with sand imported from the Bahamas, a beach club, eight restaurants, a golf course, two deep-water marinas, a spa, 18 tennis courts, and more. The marina's boat slips are "highly coveted" and will cost you a minimum of $125,000 and potentially well into the millions, publicist Lauren Marks told me.
The island also has its own fire and rescue station, medical facility, bank, mail facility, dog park, and even an independent day school with students from age 2 through seventh grade. About 600 employees work on the island. And because only about 30% of residents live there year-round, that means there are often more employees on the island than residents, Marks said.
I got the chance to take a tour of Fisher Island on a recent afternoon. Here's a look inside the super-exclusive community.
Fisher Island, a 216-acre members-only island off the coast of Miami, is the richest zip code in the US.
The average income of the island's residents is $2.2 million, according to Bloomberg.
Fisher Island is a man-made island created by the government in 1906, when a canal was dug between South Beach and what is now the island, in order to ease traffic in the area.
My journey started at the Miami Beach Marina, where a small private shuttle boat was waiting to take me to the island.
The boat is a private shuttle for prospective and current residents of Palazzo Del Sol and Palazzo Della Luna, two of the island's newest and most luxurious condominium buildings.
The boat was small yet luxurious, with 11 leather seats in an enclosed interior.
It's only about a seven-minute boat ride from the Miami Beach Marina to Fisher Island.
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