Average taxable income stands out at about ¥5.39 million in Tokyo's 23 wards, followed by Yokohama at about ¥4.37 million and Kawasaki at about ¥4.35 million. Taxable income, however, is not the annual salary of every resident. Looking at how many high-income Tokyo commuters and professionals are included among taxpayers helps reveal the character of each city.
Taxable income per taxpayer in six major Kanto cities
| Rank | City | Total taxable income | Taxpayers | Per taxpayer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo 23 wards | ¥28.6282 trillion | 5.31 million | About ¥5.39 million |
| 2 | Yokohama | ¥8.5051 trillion | 1.95 million | About ¥4.37 million |
| 3 | Kawasaki | ¥3.6550 trillion | 840,000 | About ¥4.35 million |
| 4 | Saitama City | ¥2.9008 trillion | 690,000 | About ¥4.23 million |
| 5 | Chiba City | ¥1.9431 trillion | 490,000 | About ¥3.98 million |
| 6 | Sagamihara | ¥1.3098 trillion | 360,000 | About ¥3.62 million |
Only Tokyo's 23 wards are above ¥5 million; Yokohama and Kawasaki are separated by just ¥20,000
Tokyo's 23 wards average about ¥5.39 million, roughly ¥1.02 million above second-place Yokohama. By contrast, Yokohama and Kawasaki are separated by only about ¥20,000, while Saitama City is close behind at about ¥4.23 million. Chiba City is about ¥3.98 million and Sagamihara about ¥3.62 million.
The gap between the top and bottom is about ¥1.77 million. But this is not the average salary of all residents: it is taxable income per resident taxpayer. The result is influenced by the share of high-income earners, dual-income households, pension income, and self-employment income among taxpayers.
High-income central Tokyo residents and suburban Tokyo commuters shape the ranking
Tokyo's 23 wards include Chiyoda, Minato, Chuo, and Shibuya, where corporate headquarters, finance, foreign firms, IT, and professional jobs are concentrated, helping lift the overall figure. At the same time, wards such as Adachi, Katsushika, and Sumida have different income structures, so ¥5.39 million is an average across all 23 wards.
In Yokohama, areas such as Aoba, Tsuzuki, and Kohoku, and in Kawasaki, Nakahara, Miyamae, and Asao, contain many middle- and higher-income households commuting to central Tokyo via the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line, Toyoko Line, and Odakyu Line. Saitama City combines Tokyo commuters in Urawa and Minami wards with the commercial and administrative functions of Omiya. Sagamihara's lower figure reflects not only a different share of central-Tokyo commuters, but also a different mix of local industries, ages, and neighborhoods from Yokohama and Kawasaki.
How to read these figures
The measure used here is taxable income, which is different from a wage statistic. It can include income beyond wages and salaries, so it should not be compared directly with monthly wage figures.
Conclusion: Taxable income reflects where higher-income taxpayers live
Tokyo's large lead reflects high-paying jobs concentrated in the urban core, while the strong figures for Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Saitama City reflect a combination of Tokyo commuters and local urban employment. This ranking compares the income composition of taxpayers, not the wealth of every resident in each city.
- Tokyo's 23 wards are the only area above ¥5 million, at about ¥5.39 million
- Yokohama at about ¥4.37 million and Kawasaki at about ¥4.35 million are nearly level
- Tokyo commuters along Tokyu, Odakyu, and JR lines help raise taxable income in suburban cities
- To compare household financial comfort, housing costs and household size also need to be considered separately
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Social and Demographic Statistics System (Economic Base / Taxable Income)
📊 Analysis notes
- Statistics used: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Social and Demographic Statistics System (Economic Base / Taxable Income) (e-Stat table ID: 0000020103, view on e-Stat)
- Areas covered: Tokyo 23 wards, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Saitama City, Chiba City, and Sagamihara
- Reference year: FY2023
- Data retrieved: June 6, 2026
- Note: The article centers on values published in the official statistics. Taxable income differs in scope and definition from wage statistics, so it should not be compared directly with monthly wage figures.
Figures in the table were organized from the statistical data above.