In 2023, taxable income per taxpayer was ¥5.18 million in Tokyo's 23 wards and ¥4.20 million in Yokohama, a difference of ¥980,000. Although Yokohama is part of Tokyo's commuter belt, its figure is about 19% lower. Even so, by resident taxable income it ranks third among the six major Kanto cities. We interpret the difference between workplace wages and residents' income.
Taxable income per taxpayer: Yokohama vs. Tokyo's 23 wards (2023)
| City | Total taxable income (¥1,000) | Taxpayers | Taxable income per taxpayer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo special wards | Sum of all wards | Sum of all wards | ¥5.18 million |
| Yokohama | — | — | ¥4.20 million |
| Difference | — | — | -¥0.98 million (-18.9%) |
Calculated from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' municipal taxation-status statistics for FY2023.
Taxable-income ranking for 6 major Kanto cities (reproduced)
| Rank | City | Taxable income per taxpayer (¥10,000) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo special wards | 518 |
| 2 | Kawasaki | 421 |
| 3 | Yokohama | 420 |
| 4 | Saitama City | 407 |
| 5 | Chiba City | 382 |
| 6 | Sagamihara | 347 |
Yokohama is ¥980,000 below Tokyo and only ¥10,000 behind Kawasaki
Yokohama's ¥4.20 million is 81.1% of the ¥5.18 million figure in Tokyo's 23 wards. Among the six major Kanto cities it ranks third, just behind Kawasaki at ¥4.21 million—a difference of only ¥10,000.
This indicator is taxable income per resident-tax taxpayer, not the average annual salary of every city resident. It excludes non-taxpayers and depends on the mix of taxable salary, business, pension, and other income.
Tokyo-commuting residents and the diversity of 18 wards combine to produce the ¥4.20 million figure
Aoba, Tsuzuki, and Kohoku wards are home to managers and professionals at large companies who commute to central Tokyo on the Den-en-toshi and Toyoko lines, lifting resident taxable income. Yokohama Station and Minato Mirai also contain high-value local employment, including Nissan Motor.
At the same time, Yokohama's 18 wards include suburban residential districts, older households, and a wide range of service workers. Tokyo's 23 wards have an even deeper concentration of high-income households linked to corporate headquarters, finance, and foreign-affiliated firms. The ¥980,000 gap does not mean Yokohama is poor so much as that the upper end of Tokyo's income distribution is exceptionally high.
How to read these figures
Asset statistics are averages and do not directly show medians or asset distributions. They cover households with two or more members, and real estate outside financial assets may not be included.
The article is organized primarily around published statistical figures. Numerical values directly observable in the statistical tables should be distinguished from interpretations of background factors.
Summary: Yokohama is a high-income city, but it does not match Tokyo's concentration of headquarters and high earners
Yokohama's taxable income of ¥4.20 million is high among Kanto's ordinance-designated cities, but it remains ¥980,000 below Tokyo's 23 wards. Tokyo commuting raises Yokohama's figure, while the diversity of its 18 wards and the depth of Tokyo's high-income population preserve the gap.
- Tokyo special wards: ¥5.18 million
- Yokohama: ¥4.20 million, or 81.1% of Tokyo
- Only ¥10,000 behind Kawasaki at ¥4.21 million
- This is taxable income per taxpayer, not average annual salary for all residents
Source: Published statistics listed in the Analysis notes at the end of this article
📊 Analysis notes
This article is based on the following statistical data.
- Statistics used:
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, National Survey of Family Income, Consumption and Wealth (Household Income) (Table ID: 0003426439, view on e-Stat)
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, Social and Demographic Statistics System (Economic Base / Taxable Income) (Table ID: 0000020103, view on e-Stat)
- Area: Yokohama
- Year: 2023
- Data retrieved: June 6, 2026
- Notes: The article is organized primarily around figures from published statistics. Because asset distributions, household differences, and other factors outside the article also matter, numerical values directly observable in the statistical tables should be distinguished from interpretation.
Chart and table values have been independently aggregated and visualized from the statistical data above.
Table values have been organized from the statistical data above.