An analysis of Tax Office data has shown those with Queensland's highest incomes live in suburbs like Ascot, Hamilton, Bulimba and Teneriffe.

Eagle Farm in the 4009 postcode had the highest average taxable income for 2014-15 at $105,319.

The 4007 postcode, home to Ascot and Hamilton, had an average taxable income of $103,320.

Laurel Johnson, academic with the University of Queensland urban planning program, said it is no surprise many of the top 10 suburbs are riverside ones.

"Money flows along the river in Brisbane," she said.

"You would expect those suburbs in the city that are on the river that are close to the city, that are accessible to quality public transport like the city cat network, to be those that are the most desirable to live at."

Many of the suburbs in the wealthy postcodes have also been gentrifying, which Ms Johnson said has also helped attract wealthy residents.

"We're seeing renewal and redevelopment in those suburbs of some very high-end housing stock - extremely well-designed, well-appointed and expensive apartments," she said.

"And of course what goes with that consequently is we have higher income people moving into those areas."

Long established suburbs like Ascot and Hamilton have always attracted Brisbane's employers and company directors, Ms Johnson said, and Bardon and Paddington are also "fairly established in that wealth belt".

In the data from 2004-05, towns like Moranbah, Glenden, Elphinstone and Dysart made up a good portion of the top 10 because that was when mining jobs in those areas west of Mackay and Rockhampton were at their peak.

"The mining boom was happening and all those mines were being constructed," Ms Johnson said.

While towns like May Downs, Tieri and Middlemont west of Rockhampton still make the list, Ms Johnson said now the construction phase in the mines is over, there are less jobs involved which means less people earning higher wages.

"There would just be simply less people being employed in those towns in the mining sector," she said.

What did surprise Ms Johnson in the data was the suburbs that were missing - notably St Lucia, West End and Highgate Hill.

"It just surprises me that they're missing from the top 10 knowing their reputation as being places that attract wealth and the property prices in those areas is very high, even compared to Brisbane's average," she said.

Ms Johnson suggested the reason these suburbs are not on the list is because the ATO data is only for income, not total wealth.

"Income is not a great indicator of wealth because the extremely wealthy would have a property portfolio and they are probably minimising their tax and minimising their personal income through other means such as family trusts," she said.

"If you're holding a whole property portfolio, or if your house is worth $10 million, that's not going to be reflected in the ATO number.

"And the St Lucia community is largely an older, aging community or students .. so the income may not show up as it would in suburbs like Balmoral and New Farm, Paddington, Bardon, which tends to be younger families and working professionals."

Ms Johnson said she expects the remaining mining towns in the list will be pushed out by suburbs like West End and South Brisbane in the near future, as new high-end apartments and high property prices attract wealthier crowds.

"Those areas where those higher end apartments are going in, they will overshadow and overtake those mining towns," she said.

But ultimately, Brisbane's riverfront suburbs will always be wealthy.

"It's (traditionally) been that waterfront properties have been the most valuable, so you would expect your higher income earners to be drawn to those areas of Brisbane."