There are many ways of looking for the pockets of wealth that dot the country. The IRS and the Census Bureau have data that show it in the typical way. AdvisorOne set out to create a novel look at where the wealth is in the United States and compare it with a snapshot of the number of advisors in each area, which we call AdvisorOne Wealth Zones.
To create our Wealth Zones we started with a list of the Top 100 wealthiest zip codes ranked by adjusted gross income. We then grouped neighboring wealthy zip codes and compared the number of households (as determined by tax returns filed in each zone) to the number of subscribers to Investment Advisor and Research magazines. This allowed us to see if advisors were tripping over one another or if the wealthy were in "danger" of having their assets neglected.
In the end, we created 20 Wealth Zones. A few, like Bryn Mawr, Pa., and Carmel, Ind., are standalone zip codes because they represented large pockets of isolated wealth according to the data. Most Wealth Zones were composed of several wealthy zip codes, like in Chicago, because advisor headcount varied greatly from zip codes that abutted one another and excluding them would radically skew the results.
We'll be mining this data from time to time to provide what we hope is interesting, maybe even actionable, information for advisors. Our first effort is here, the Top 10 Wealth Zones With Fewest Advisors per wealthy household. The city that topped this list, and some other big cities, were a big surprise. Next week, we will unveil the Top 10 Wealth Zones With the Most Advisors per household. 
10. Carmel, Ind.
Average AGI: $102,509
Households: 15,181
Advisor-to-Household Ratio:
1 per 125 households
Just north of Indianapolis, Carmel is home to CNO Financial Group (formerly Conseco) and Delta Faucet, among other businesses. It was voted No. 14 on CNN Money's best places to live in 2010. Still, the ratio of advisors to household shows there might be room for more advisor offices. 
9. Dallas
Average AGI: $139,570
Households: 83,065
Advisor-to-Household Ratio:
1 per 157 households
From Coppell to Plano to Dallas proper, the Dallas Wealth Zone is high on wealth. Everything in Texas is big, or so the locals boast, and that's certainly true of the wealth in this zone. What's not as big is the number of advisors practicing here. 
8. Chicago
Average AGI: $166,658
Households: 184,438
Advisor-to-Household Ratio:
1 per 176 households
The City of Big Shoulders has pockets of huge wealth, and this zone that includes northern suburbs and parts of the city is emphatic evidence of that point. Anyone not afraid of the Chicago winds—both the meteorological kind and those that come from politicians—might find a good opportunity to find clients. 
7. Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Average AGI: $148,022
Households: 10,347
Advisor-to-Household Ratio:
1 per 202 households
Katharine Hepburn attended the town's namesake college, Woodrow Wilson taught there, and John Bogle, retired from Vanguard, is counted among its residents. But the real attraction for advisors of this toney Philadelphia suburb is the high adjusted gross income and the relatively few advisors. 
6. Miami
Average AGI: $162,181
Households: 23,860
Advisor-to-Household Ratio:
1 per 233 households
5. Los Angeles
4. Potomac, Md.
3. Seattle
2. Houston
1. San Francisco
