Beverly Hills vs Montecito: Montecito leads on safety

Beverly Hills vs Montecito.

Beverly Hills and Montecito tax a $1M income alike and cost them about the same, so safety decides it: Montecito scores 9 of 10 against 7 for Beverly Hills. Both in 🇺🇸 United States, compared on tax, residence, cost and the life.

In short, current to October 2026

State income tax on $1,000,000: $102,460 in Beverly Hills (California) and $102,460 in Montecito (California). Federal income tax, $320,000, is the same in both at this income.
On $1,000,000 of income, Beverly Hills takes an effective 42% and Montecito takes 42%, federal and state together, an identical effective rate on the Patrician.ch 2026 model.
A capital gain carries 37% in both: federal tax plus 13.3% California tax in each.
Estate: the federal estate tax, 40% above $15M per person in 2026 and paid by the estate, is the same in both. California has no estate or inheritance tax of its own.
Cost of the life is 138 in Beverly Hills against 140 in Montecito on the Patrician.ch index where Zurich is 100, and safety 7 against 9 of 10. Both are Patrician.ch editorial indices scored by us, not published statistics.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 47 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to October 2026. Updated 29 October 2026. Cite as: Patrician.ch, Beverly Hills (California) vs Montecito (California): tax, residence and cost 2026, patrician.ch/compare/beverly-hills-vs-montecito/, October 2026.

Beverly Hills, United States — **Beverly Hills** 🇺🇸 United States

Montecito, United States — **Montecito** 🇺🇸 United States

	Beverly Hills	Montecito
Effective tax at $300K	31%	31%
Effective tax at $1M	42%	42%
Federal income tax at $1M	$320,000	$320,000
State income tax at $1M	$102,460	$102,460
Effective tax at $3M	48%	48%
Kept after tax at $1M	$578K	$578K
Capital gains	37%	37%
State tax on a capital gain	13.3%	13.3%
Inheritance tax, children	40% above $15M	40% above $15M
Cost index (Zurich 100)	138	140
A 200 m² prime home, US$	$4.1M	Not published
Prestige of address (editorial)	10/10	10/10
Safety	7/10	9/10
Schools	8/10	8/10
Sun hours	3,250	3,000
Supercar street index	#3	#23
Flight from London	11h 20m nonstop	11h 20m nonstop
Flight from New York	6h 20m nonstop	6h 20m nonstop

See these 2 places for your own income.Beverly Hills and Montecito, side by side on your income, passports and family. Free, in the ranking of all 100. Then the Dossier: a written report in 10 chapters on the 3 places that rank first for you. The Dossier is $500. The founding price, $250, holds until 31 October.

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Head to head

Effective income tax rate, % of income, at 3 incomes

$300K$1M$3MBeverly Hills31%42%48%Montecito31%42%48%

Note: single filer, federal and state together

Source: Patrician.ch 2026 tax model, built on official tax authority rates

Simplified marginal model, indicative 2026 brackets, single filer resident in the US. At $1M federal income tax is the same in both places, and the state rows show what each state adds. No social contributions, property tax or sales tax. Inheritance is shown as it falls on a child, current to October 2026.

By profile

How each profile reads.

For an executive on salary

Tax is level. Both keep $578K of $1M on this model, so the rows above decide it.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains land at 37% in both. Neither city levies an annual wealth tax.

For a family

Montecito (California) leads on safety, Beverly Hills (California) on a lower cost and sun. Schools are level.

Beverly HillsThe full page

MontecitoThe full page Rank both on my numbersThe engine, 90 seconds

Questions

Which keeps more of a $1M income, Beverly Hills or Montecito?

Neither. Both keep $578K of $1,000,000 on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

Beverly Hills takes an effective 42% of $1,000,000 and Montecito takes 42%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 48% and 48%.

Which taxes capital gains less, Beverly Hills or Montecito?

Neither. Both tax a resident's capital gain at about 37%.

Which is better for inheritance, Beverly Hills or Montecito?

Both tax children. What a child pays: 40% above $15M in Beverly Hills, 40% above $15M in Montecito.

The US taxes an estate at 40% above $15M per person in 2026. A US citizen spouse inherits free.

Which is cheaper to live in, Beverly Hills or Montecito?

Beverly Hills, at 138 on the Patrician.ch cost index against 140 for Montecito, where Zurich is 100.

Safety scores 7 of 10 in Beverly Hills and 9 of 10 in Montecito, schools 8 and 8. These are Patrician.ch editorial indices, not published statistics.

The Dossier: Beverly Hills, Montecito, and the third you have not considered.A written report on the 3 places that rank first for you, on your income, a sale, your passports and your family. 10 chapters, written the moment you pay. Every tax figure carries its official source and the date it was last checked. The Dossier is $500. The founding price, $250, holds until 31 October. Refunded in full within 7 days of delivery, no reason needed.

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