Guanxin retains top spot as Taiwan's richest ward

Taipei, June 30 (CNA) Guanxin in Hsinchu City has retained the top spot as Taiwan's richest ward, according to the Ministry of Finance's (MOF) latest table of average household incomes.

MOF statistics released Friday showed that average annual household income in Guanxin Ward, located in the city's East District, stood at NT$4.611 million in 2022, with a median per household income of NT$3.543 million.

Meanwhile, Hsinchu City had the highest average annual household income of any city or county (NT$1.505 million), with Hsinchu County ranking second (NT$1.34 million).

Taipei retained third spot, with an average annual per household income of NT$1.257 million.

Outside of Taipei, average annual household incomes in Taiwan's five other special municipalities -- Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan and New Taipei -- ranged from NT$790,000-850,000, the MOF said.

The MOF's tables comprised information about 6.63 million households in Taiwan for 2022, the latest year for which tax figures are available.

Among Taiwan's wards, Datong Ward, located in Hsinchu City's North District, ranked second behind Guanxin, with a per household annual income of NT$3.887 million. However, its median income was NT$726,000, indicating a large wealth disparity.

Zhongxing Ward in Hsinchu County's Zhubei City ranked third with an average annual household income of NT$3.475 million, with Yongfu Ward in Taipei's Shilin District (NT$3.425 million) and Tungping Ward in Zhubei City (NT$3.36 million) sitting fourth and fifth, respectively.

Four of the top five wards were located near the Hsinchu Science Park, where multiple profitable Taiwanese tech heavyweights, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), have a presence.