Prince of Wales Drive in Battersea, Wandsworth Common or Roehampton Heath are all areas which are likely to be made up of high earners.

But, to the surprise of researchers conducting a postcode study, a cluster of households in the Tooting Graveney area were found to have the highest average income per home in the UK.

The Wealth of the Nation 2012 report, compiled by data company CACI, found people living in the SW17 6 postcode have an average household income of £66,100.

It is the first time the postcode has appeared on the top 10 of the study, while Salford Quays in Manchester also made a surprise appearance.

SW17 6 covers streets leading off Church Lane up to Gearing close, with the area made up of newly built houses on the site of the former St Benedicts Hospital.

The report reads: "As expected, traditionally affluent areas are included in the ranking, but there are some surprises. 

"The area around Church Lane near Tooting Graveney Common in Tooting, South West London has appeared for the first time in the top ten. 

"This area of relatively new homes contains a mixture of flats and houses nearly all containing well educated, senior managerial young couples."

It also cited the absence of retired people living in the area for the average income rate remaining high.

Fred Ahmed, of the Balham and Tooting Community Association, said Tooting's transport links to the Northern Line and overground attract wealthy newcomers.

He said: "It shows what differences there are in such a short space in a small area - affluent people not far away from less than affluent people.

"I think Tooting is slowly going up market. Obviously it started in SW12, it is creeping towards Tooting town centre way."

Christy Billings, of Parklands, an organiser for the Furzedown Festival, said: "I don't believe it. There are parts of Tooting which do have very wealthy people in them.

"I think it is starting to gentrify. There are more interesting arts events, art clubs and crafty things. There is a little bit of a buzz of it as a cool place."

Tooting town centre manager, Audrey Helps, said: "Recent research commissioned by Wandsworth Council would support the belief that the residential mix of Tooting is changing, with a marked increase in, mainly young, professionals with higher levels of disposable income.

"However, Tooting continues to be home to a very wide mixture of people, and its diversity is one of the things which local residents frequently rate as most attractive about the area".

Property prices in Tooting have risen over the past couple of years, with a four bed house in Massingberd Way currently on the market for £655,000.

Second on the list was Turner's Wood in Hart, while Horton Park in Ewell and Epsom came third.