THE High Peak district of Derbyshire is the wealthiest in the country outside London.

The affluent rural area has moved up the table released by Barclays Financial Planning from 17th last year to 11th in 2004. The proportion of its population earning more than £60,000 rose from 7.9% in 2003 to 11.8% this year.

High Peak comes out top in the annual "affluentials" survey, which looked at the growth in the number of people earning more than £60,000 per year.

The rural district, sandwiched between Manchester and Sheffield, saw a 68% growth in these top earners in the year up to April this year.

A close second is Monmouth, on the Welsh borders, where 66% more were earning more than £60,000 compared to the year before.

Another Welsh district, Cardiff North, is third, followed by Withington in Manchester, and Keighley.

But when it comes to absolute levels of wealth, Kensington and Chelsea still has the highest proportion of £60,000 plus earners - 16.4% of the population.