Valldemossa Has the Highest Average Income in the Balearic Islands in 2023

New figures show Valldemossa leads the 2023 list of the wealthiest municipalities in the Balearic Islands. Palma is in the middle, Inca at the bottom.

Valldemossa at the Top – Surprising to Some, Logical to Others

When you stroll through the narrow streets of Valldemossa in the morning, with the scent of freshly baked bread in the air and the peak sun on the horizon, it doesn't feel surprising that there is a bit more money per capita here. The newly published numbers from the Spanish statistical office for 2023 confirm: Valldemossa on the Balearics has the highest average net income per inhabitant – just under €22,100 per year.

Who is where?

A quick overview: Escorca, which topped the list last year, has been demoted. Palma moves in at around €16,181 in the middle. The city of Ibiza sits at about €17,500, a bit higher. At the lower end of the scale is Inca – here the average net income is around €13,500 per year.

In the national comparison, municipalities around Madrid remain at the forefront: Pozuelo de Alarcón leads Spain's table, with more than €30,000 per person per year. This shows how large the differences within the country still are.

What lies behind the numbers?

Such averages say a lot, but not everything. In Valldemossa, tourism, second-home owners and local service providers play together. In the mornings you often see craftsmen, small gallery owners and cafes with full tables – especially on clear Saturdays around 11 a.m. This mix raises the average, while in places like Inca other economic structures, larger family households and a different mix of industries shape the picture.

Furthermore: Averages often obscure income differences within a municipality. A high average does not automatically mean that everyone earns well. Much depends on age structure, labor market and ownership patterns.

A Look Ahead

For policy and administration, such figures are useful – for social planning, infrastructure and governance. For us residents, it means: look more closely. A Plaça conversation over a café con leche is not enough to tell the whole story. But it is a start.

So the next time you walk through Valldemossa, pay attention to the small details: the stickers on the lampposts, the older neighbors carrying their groceries, and the new vacation apartments that sometimes show a completely different image of prosperity. Statistics are a moment-in-time snapshot. The island is alive – and sometimes contradictory.