New statistics from the finance ministry reveal the impact of Hsinchu Science Park on the changing geography of wealth in Taiwan. The concentration of highearning computer scientists living in Guanxin Borough in Hsinchu has made it the highestearning neighborhood in Taiwan. Hsinchu Science Park is sometimes called the "Silicon Valley of Taiwan." Nearby Guanxin Borough is just six years old, but its residents earn twice as much as those of Taipei''s most affluent neighborhood. The influx of big tech is also making the area the youngest neighborhood in the country.

This young mother and her child play in the park, overlooked by a newly built luxury apartment block. This is Guanxin Borough in Hsinchu – the highestincome neighborhood in Taiwan.

Huang Yaching
Guanxin Borough chief
Until recently there were almost no houses in the borough. They’re all newbuilds. So we have very few residents who’ve lived here a long time. Most of the borough’s residents are programmers working in the science park, along with some corporate midlevel managers and executives.

Ministry of Finance income statistics for 2017 show the median annual income in Guanxin Borough was NT$2.53 million. That was almost 30% more than Taiwan’s second most prosperous district, Dongping Borough, just a couple of kilometers north of Guanxin. The highestincome neighborhood in Taipei is Zhengda, but average incomes there are just half of those in Guanxin.

Guanxin Borough resident
I think these statistics are quite accurate. Looking at my family and people I know, like my husband’s colleagues, they all earn about the same amount. On average it fits that statistic. The public facilities here are all pretty good, and the shopping districts are getting more and more developed. I think this is the best place to live in Hsinchu, even better than Zhubei..

Guanxin is the highestincome neighborhood in Taiwan, but also the youngest. The average age of residents here is just 29.

Huang Yaching
Guanxin Borough chief
There are lots of children. The parents are young too. So by deduction the average age is very young.

The new developments built here are just a few minutes’ drive from the science park, and with an attractive urban environment, the area is an easy choice for the highearners of Taiwan’s Silicon Valley. Guanxin may only be six years old as a borough, but it already has over 5,000 residents, making it one of Taiwan’s fastest growing areas.