Two Palms in One City: Where Palma's Wealth Is Concentrated

A Look at the Addresses: Why Palma Feels Divided

When you stroll along La Rambla in the morning, you sometimes smell coffee and the small restlessness of a big city. If you walk two side streets further, you can almost forget that in the same city people live with very different budgets. New figures from the tax authorities make this clear: Palma now feels like two cities in one.

Who Earns How Much – A Brief Explanation

In the Sant Jaume district, which lies between La Rambla and the Torrent de sa Riera, statistics show that on average significantly more of every euro remains. Household income there: around 69,523 euros per year. Behind it follows the historic Montisión east of the cathedral with about 56,468 euros.

By comparison: In tourist quarters such as El Arenal, the average disposable income is only about 25,607 euros. Son Canals, Son Cladera and Pere Garau are similarly low – that’s where the difference in daily budgets becomes more noticeable.

Why This Is So

Researchers from the university institutes here say: This is due to historical developments and different housing structures. In the west and center, much has increased over the last decades: luxury apartments, renovated city palaces, new residents with high incomes. In the east, families and working generations often live, with lower incomes.

One expert puts it succinctly: Some streets are so polished that even the scent of cafes signals who lives here. In other neighborhoods you see entirely different life realities, small shops, greater need for social offerings.

What This Means for Palma

The gap is not just statistics; it affects everyday life: schools, small trades, rents, and the look of the streets change. Gentrification plays a role—at the same time there are districts where tourism and low earners live close together, which can distort the averages.

For urban planning, this means more differentiated measures instead of one-size-fits-all solutions. Whether it's transport, social services or housing—those who read the signs know Palma is distributed unequally.

I personally enjoy strolling through Sant Jaume on a calm afternoon sun, but I also remember a bakery in Pere Garau that has been run by the same family for decades. Two Palms, one feeling—that stays with enjoying the café and looking at the statistics.