Americans have long understood that their birthplace can significantly affect their futures, and academics have increasingly been able to connect tangible early life factors like where they live and the friendships they've cultivated with potential future income.
Among the most recent studies shedding light on what's known as economic mobility—a person's ability to move themselves and their families up the socioeconomic ladder over their lifetime—are a series of papers authored by Harvard University researchers leveraging vast troves of social networking data.
As part of a national analysis, Wealth Enhancement Group used data from Harvard University's Social Capital Atlas project to identify where in Mississippi children have the best (and worst) chances at upward economic mobility.
The research draws on a privacy-protected dataset representing 21 billion friendships from Facebook made public through its parent company Meta's Data for Good project. It also uses anonymous tax records, according to the authors. The scholars assigned a score to locales according to how economically connected low- and high-income people living in the area have historically been over at least a decade, per that data. The dataset does not include scores for about 180 of the 3,000 or so counties in the U.S.
The research attempts to fill in the gaps of previous efforts to study American economic mobility that did not consider a person's vast social networks nor their importance in creating better lives for themselves and their children.
It turns out the ability to cultivate friendships linking people of different socioeconomic backgrounds with one another is the strongest factor in determining whether a child can surpass the earning potential of their parents, Harvard researchers found. They call this economic connectedness.
Read on to find out where economic connectedness is strongest in your state.
#50. Grenada County
- Economic connectedness: 0.61
- Median Income: $40,808
- Population: 21,621
--- 53% white
--- 44.5% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#49. Hinds County
- Economic connectedness: 0.61
- Median Income: $46,179
- Population: 230,772
--- 24.3% white
--- 73% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#48. Amite County
- Economic connectedness: 0.61
- Median Income: $31,367
- Population: 12,718
--- 57.5% white
--- 40.8% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#47. Jasper County
- Economic connectedness: 0.61
- Median Income: $39,992
- Population: 16,406
--- 44.3% white
--- 54.2% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#46. Montgomery County
- Economic connectedness: 0.61
- Median Income: $35,903
- Population: 9,948
--- 52.1% white
--- 43.9% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#45. Lauderdale County
- Economic connectedness: 0.62
- Median Income: $43,301
- Population: 73,756
--- 53.1% white
--- 43.7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#44. Covington County
- Economic connectedness: 0.62
- Median Income: $40,233
- Population: 18,491
--- 61.7% white
--- 36.1% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
Chad Robertson Media // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Jones County
- Economic connectedness: 0.62
- Median Income: $43,659
- Population: 67,374
--- 67.7% white
--- 29.5% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#42. Yalobusha County
- Economic connectedness: 0.64
- Median Income: $44,348
- Population: 12,586
--- 59.8% white
--- 37.6% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Newton County
- Economic connectedness: 0.64
- Median Income: $44,530
- Population: 21,385
--- 59.7% white
--- 31.1% Black
--- 4.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#40. Marion County
- Economic connectedness: 0.65
- Median Income: $34,286
- Population: 24,609
--- 64.3% white
--- 32.8% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#39. Franklin County
- Economic connectedness: 0.65
- Median Income: $40,479
- Population: 7,705
--- 62.4% white
--- 35.8% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#38. Warren County
- Economic connectedness: 0.65
- Median Income: $50,686
- Population: 45,141
--- 47.4% white
--- 48.9% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#37. Lowndes County
- Economic connectedness: 0.66
- Median Income: $49,660
- Population: 58,904
--- 51.8% white
--- 44.5% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#36. Carroll County
- Economic connectedness: 0.66
- Median Income: $46,147
- Population: 10,053
--- 64.4% white
--- 35.5% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
Norm Lane // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Lincoln County
- Economic connectedness: 0.67
- Median Income: $43,926
- Population: 34,910
--- 67.7% white
--- 30.6% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Wayne County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $34,766
- Population: 19,824
--- 57.2% white
--- 38.5% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#33. Lee County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $60,708
- Population: 83,388
--- 65.2% white
--- 29.8% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
JMcQ // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Alcorn County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $44,068
- Population: 34,964
--- 82.6% white
--- 10.6% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#31. Monroe County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $47,353
- Population: 34,448
--- 67.9% white
--- 30.4% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#30. Lawrence County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $39,443
- Population: 12,055
--- 64.5% white
--- 32.6% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#29. Jackson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $55,107
- Population: 142,993
--- 69.9% white
--- 20.7% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.4% Asian
#28. Madison County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $74,688
- Population: 108,248
--- 56.7% white
--- 37.8% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.7% Asian
#27. Forrest County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $45,780
- Population: 77,743
--- 58.6% white
--- 36.7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#26. Choctaw County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $37,859
- Population: 8,264
--- 68% white
--- 29.9% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#25. Harrison County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $51,590
- Population: 207,382
--- 65.7% white
--- 25.2% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.6% Asian
Monarch Productions // Shutterstockk
27 / 50#24. DeSoto County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $73,460
- Population: 183,220
--- 63.1% white
--- 29.5% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.3% Asian
#23. Benton County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $39,311
- Population: 7,687
--- 60.8% white
--- 32.1% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#22. Simpson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $43,842
- Population: 26,064
--- 61.3% white
--- 36.7% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#21. Clarke County
- Economic connectedness: 0.71
- Median Income: $40,838
- Population: 15,678
--- 63.9% white
--- 34.7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#20. Pontotoc County
- Economic connectedness: 0.71
- Median Income: $52,150
- Population: 31,136
--- 75.9% white
--- 15.5% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#19. Tippah County
- Economic connectedness: 0.71
- Median Income: $41,506
- Population: 21,877
--- 76.9% white
--- 15.5% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#18. Marshall County
- Economic connectedness: 0.71
- Median Income: $42,968
- Population: 34,031
--- 48.6% white
--- 46.4% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#17. Prentiss County
- Economic connectedness: 0.72
- Median Income: $46,417
- Population: 25,022
--- 82.1% white
--- 11.4% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.3% Asian
#16. Smith County
- Economic connectedness: 0.72
- Median Income: $51,792
- Population: 14,483
--- 74.4% white
--- 23.9% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#15. Greene County
- Economic connectedness: 0.72
- Median Income: $49,581
- Population: 13,653
--- 72.6% white
--- 25% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#14. Stone County
- Economic connectedness: 0.73
- Median Income: $50,807
- Population: 18,356
--- 78.3% white
--- 16% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#13. Hancock County
- Economic connectedness: 0.74
- Median Income: $58,196
- Population: 45,911
--- 85.8% white
--- 7% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Tate County
- Economic connectedness: 0.74
- Median Income: $54,839
- Population: 28,123
--- 66.9% white
--- 30% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#11. Oktibbeha County
- Economic connectedness: 0.75
- Median Income: $41,094
- Population: 51,339
--- 56.4% white
--- 36.4% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.2% Asian
#10. Tishomingo County
- Economic connectedness: 0.75
- Median Income: $40,394
- Population: 18,945
--- 92.8% white
--- 2% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#9. Union County
- Economic connectedness: 0.76
- Median Income: $50,543
- Population: 27,775
--- 77.8% white
--- 15.6% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#8. Perry County
- Economic connectedness: 0.77
- Median Income: $47,368
- Population: 11,611
--- 80% white
--- 13.8% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.3% Asian
George Dodd III // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Pearl River County
- Economic connectedness: 0.77
- Median Income: $53,855
- Population: 55,972
--- 82.5% white
--- 12.8% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#6. Webster County
- Economic connectedness: 0.77
- Median Income: $53,363
- Population: 9,938
--- 79% white
--- 19.2% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#5. Lamar County
- Economic connectedness: 0.78
- Median Income: $63,925
- Population: 63,610
--- 75.1% white
--- 20.6% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.2% Asian
#4. George County
- Economic connectedness: 0.79
- Median Income: $47,385
- Population: 24,260
--- 88.9% white
--- 8% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#3. Itawamba County
- Economic connectedness: 0.81
- Median Income: $53,510
- Population: 23,863
--- 90.8% white
--- 7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#2. Rankin County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $72,326
- Population: 156,052
--- 73.8% white
--- 21.5% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.2% Asian
#1. Lafayette County
- Economic connectedness: 0.87
- Median Income: $54,720
- Population: 55,727
--- 70.6% white
--- 23.4% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.9% Asian
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
