Following the money
Income in many well-to-do towns is rising fast, widening the gap with the middle class
The region's richest neighborhoods grew a little bit richer over the past few years, according to a Globe survey of incomes broken down by ZIP codes.
In many cases - although not all - the income in the most affluent neighborhoods grew at a faster rate from 2001 through 2005 than in other neighborhoods or communities.
That economic slice of life suggests several things, said specialists in economics, political science, and regional affairs. One is that the municipal service gap is widening, as wealthy towns invest in schools and town amenities that are too expensive for taxpayers in other towns. Another is a growing income gap between white-collar professionals and blue-collar workers.
"Society is becoming more segregated by income," said Marc Draisen, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, a regional planning agency, noting IRS data and other national studies over the past decade.
"The income of the wealthy has gone up much faster than the middle-class or low-income families," he said. "That definitely plays itself out in the quality of the services you can afford at the local level, including schools."
With tax day looming on Tuesday, the Globe looked at the average tax filer's income in every ZIP code in the state, based on aggregate information provided by the Internal Revenue Service. Tax filings can be for either an individual or a couple.
Taxpayers in suburbs south of Boston make more money - $72,256 a year, on average - than the state average of $67,419, according to the data.
And in the wealthiest neighborhoods, income is growing at an especially brisk pace.
Statewide, incomes grew 13 percent during the period studied, but in 11 of the 15 wealthiest communities south of Boston, growth exceeded that rate.
The 02090 ZIP code in Westwood not only had the highest income in the area - $173,588 - it also showed the largest increase in income, 35.1 percent over the four years surveyed.
A few not-so-wealthy towns also saw a sizable increase in wealth. Although taxpayers in Rochester earned less than half as much as those in Westwood, they saw almost as much income growth, 33.5 percent. Rochester's 02770 ZIP code was the only other one that posted a gain of more than 30 percent.
Other communities that gained more than 20 percent in income included: 02043 in Hingham, 02021 in Canton, 02769 in Rehoboth, 02717 in Freetown, 02739 in Mattapoisett, and 02061 in Norwell.
At the other end of the spectrum, six ZIPs gained less than 5 percent, led by 02067 in Sharon (although income was still a robust $111,324), 02171 in Quincy, 02062 in Norwood, 02170 in Quincy, 02368 in Randolph, and 02071 in Walpole.
The southern suburbs' income gains, while significant, paled in comparison to some towns in other regions. In Weston's 02493 ZIP code, the average income was an enviable $531,374 - the highest in the state.
Such variation in wealth and income growth "plays out in educational policies at the local level," said Jim Millikan, an associate professor of political science at Stonehill College in Easton. "Wealthier communities are able to provide educational experiences and facilities to students that poorer communities have real difficulty with."
Overall, said Michael Jones, a project director in the economics department at Bridgewater State College, the figures show that white-collar workers have done OK, "but blue-collar occupations, in manufacturing or support, have been declining." Problems for blue-collar workers could be partly the result of jobs moving offshore, he said.
State aid has helped keep economic disparities between communities from growing too wide, said Barry Bluestone, the dean of Northeastern University's School of Social Science, Urban Affairs & Public Policy.
Proportionally, more state money has been pumped into poorer communities. But state aid has fallen off in recent years, leading to angry complaints from local officials, who are trying to stave off cuts in services and layoffs.
If the state cuts continue, that hurts poorer communities more, because a greater percentage of their budget depends on it, while wealthy communities get a higher percentage of their budget from property taxes.
The 2005 data were the most recent available. Data from before 2001 were not used because of changes in local ZIP codes. The overview looked only at geographic ZIP codes, and not post office boxes. Figures were not adjusted for inflation.
Matt Carroll can be reached at mcarroll@globe.com.
