Income Geospatial Distribution Czechia

The Czech Income Map: Why “Suburban” Is the New Rich

Where are the highest-earning places in the Czech Republic?
The answer is not found in the countryside — and not always in the largest cities either.

An analysis of modelled average gross salaries  across more than 6,000 Czech municipalities reveals a clear spatial hierarchy of earning power.

The highest average salaries are most consistently found in suburban municipalities.

These are the commuter belts and satellite towns surrounding major urban economies — particularly Prague, and to a lesser extent Brno.

Contents

Urban, Suburban, and Rural: A Salary-Based Comparison

This analysis compares modelled average gross salary estimates across three broad types of municipalities:

  • Urban – large cities with diverse labour markets
  • Suburban – municipalities functionally connected to major cities through commuting
  • Rural – smaller municipalities outside major functional urban areas

The aim is to identify structural salary patterns, rather than produce exact rankings.

The “Top Band” Analysis: Highest-Earning Municipalities

Rather than a fixed ranking, the analysis includes every municipality that falls into the highest salary cluster.

Estimated average gross salary above 55,000 CZK

This threshold serves as a relative benchmark for identifying the top salary segment.

In total, 69 municipalities fall into this top-earning band.

1. Municipality Count: Suburbs Lead

  • Suburban: 44 municipalities
  • Rural: 21 municipalities
  • Urban: 4 municipalities

Takeaway:
High-earning places are overwhelmingly suburban.

2. Population Count: Cities Still Concentrate Earners

  • Urban: ~1.7 million people (Praha, Brno, Plzeň, Mladá Boleslav)
  • Suburban: ~190,000 people
  • Rural: ~27,000 people

Takeaway:
Cities concentrate jobs and people, while suburbs concentrate high-earning residential environments.

The Largest High-Earning Municipalities

Urban Centres in the Top Band

  • Praha (~1.3M) – The dominant economic centre with the highest density of top-paying jobs.
  • Brno (~380k) – A major technology, university, and R&D hub.
  • Plzeň (~175k) – A strong industrial and engineering centre with international investment.
  • Mladá Boleslav (~45k) – A unique salary profile driven by the Škoda Auto ecosystem.

Suburban High-Earning Municipalities

  • Brandýs nad Labem–Stará Boleslav – Industrial and commuter-driven earnings.
  • Říčany – A prime residential municipality with excellent connectivity.
  • Kuřim – An industrial and engineering hub near Brno.
  • Jesenice – A fast-growing commuter suburb south of Prague.
  • Hostivice – Residential and logistics hub near Prague Airport.
  • Roztoky – A highly educated commuter town with strong rail access.
  • Černošice – A long-established elite residential suburb.
  • Úvaly – A rapidly expanding rail-connected municipality.
  • Rosice – Brno’s representative in the top tier.

The “Rural” High-Salary Villages

  • Klíčany – An exclusive low-density commuter enclave.
  • Polerady – Small population with strong commuter income effects.
  • Okoř – A prestigious residential village with historical value.

Here, “rural” refers to settlement size, not economic isolation.

The Bottom Range: The Structural Periphery

Municipalities with estimated averages below 37,500 CZK are predominantly rural and peripheral.

  • Strážek (Vysočina)
  • Nezdenice (Zlín Region)
  • Jedlí (Olomouc Region)
Czech Republic Income Map - Municipality Level

What This Salary Map Shows

High average salaries are most consistently found in suburban municipalities.

Cities generate high-paying jobs.
Suburbs capture high-earning households.

Data & Methodology

Based on 2024 ČSÚ salary statistics at the regional-office level, further modelled to municipalities using:

  • industry structure
  • employment type
  • rural–urban characteristics
  • income-related tax indicators
  • commuting patterns

Machine learning and AI-based refinement were used to stabilise estimates, particularly for small municipalities.

All values are modelled estimates intended for spatial comparison.

Access the Data

Explore and download the sample dataset here: Czechia: Income Distribution at the Municipality Level.

Data are available in CSV and Shapefile formats (EPSG:4326) and ready for integration into GIS, BI and analytical workflows.

Source: Central Statistics Office (ČSÚ), modelled by Geolocet to municipality level.

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