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With an Average of R$ 4,300 in Per Capita Income and High HDI, Nova Lima Surpassed Major Capitals and Established Itself as the Richest Municipality and with the Best Quality of Life in the Country
When thinking of the richest cities in Brazil, it’s natural to imagine large centers like São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. However, the 2025 Demographic Census, released this Thursday (9) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), brought an unexpected result.
The city with the highest per capita income in the country is outside the Rio-São Paulo axis. It is Nova Lima, a municipality in Minas Gerais located in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, which recorded an average of R$ 4,300 in per capita income and R$ 6,929 in average labor income.
The City That Surpassed the Metropolises
Nova Lima surpassed major capitals by leading the national ranking, establishing itself as the municipality with the highest per capita income in Brazil.
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This data is surprising because Minas Gerais, although traditionally associated with mining and industry, rarely appears among the top positions in economic indicators related to individual income.
The proximity to Belo Horizonte helps explain part of this phenomenon. Located just 22 kilometers from the state capital, the city has attracted a large number of high-income professionals in recent years who seek more tranquility without giving up quick access to the main economic center of the state.
The Influence of Location and Infrastructure of Nova Lima
This movement is similar to what occurs in São Paulo, where municipalities like São Caetano do Sul — the second place on the IBGE list — also house people with high purchasing power who prefer to live outside the capital.
In Nova Lima, neighborhoods like Vila da Serra, Vale do Sereno, and Vale dos Cristais have become symbols of this new housing pattern.
These are areas marked by luxury condominiums, modern infrastructure, and spacious properties. According to the Census, 24.9% of the population lives in houses with ten rooms or more, a figure well above the national average.
Quality of Life as a Differential
Besides income, Nova Lima also stands out for its high quality of life indicators. The municipality has the highest Human Development Index (HDI) in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, reaching 0.813 — a range considered “very high” by the IBGE.
This performance reinforces that the city’s economic success is due not only to income concentration but also to the provision of quality public services in health, education, and urban infrastructure.
Therefore, Nova Lima has not only surpassed major metropolises in income but has also consolidated its image as one of the best places to live in Brazil.
With information from Seu Dinheiro.
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