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 Alabama 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. Sumter County
- Economic connectedness: 0.55
- Median Income: $27,099
- Population: 12,482
--- 25.7% white
--- 71.3% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.3% Asian
Thomas Burks // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Randolph County
- Economic connectedness: 0.55
- Median Income: $47,081
- Population: 21,984
--- 77.1% white
--- 18.6% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#48. Marshall County
- Economic connectedness: 0.56
- Median Income: $52,938
- Population: 97,179
--- 88.8% white
--- 2.9% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#47. Clarke County
- Economic connectedness: 0.57
- Median Income: $44,108
- Population: 23,346
--- 52% white
--- 45.4% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
John H. Davis // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Russell County
- Economic connectedness: 0.57
- Median Income: $44,065
- Population: 58,695
--- 47.2% white
--- 44.7% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.1% Asian
#45. Mobile County
- Economic connectedness: 0.57
- Median Income: $51,169
- Population: 414,620
--- 57.4% white
--- 36.1% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2% Asian
Curtis Lee Newton // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Franklin County
- Economic connectedness: 0.57
- Median Income: $43,633
- Population: 32,034
--- 78.1% white
--- 4.4% Black
--- 1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#43. Marengo County
- Economic connectedness: 0.58
- Median Income: $35,379
- Population: 19,397
--- 45.4% white
--- 51.3% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#42. Houston County
- Economic connectedness: 0.58
- Median Income: $50,222
- Population: 106,355
--- 67.4% white
--- 27.3% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
JNix // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Clay County
- Economic connectedness: 0.58
- Median Income: $45,163
- Population: 14,184
--- 82.1% white
--- 13.3% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
Carl Banks Photography // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Jackson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.58
- Median Income: $43,785
- Population: 52,548
--- 90.4% white
--- 3.5% Black
--- 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#39. Geneva County
- Economic connectedness: 0.59
- Median Income: $43,581
- Population: 26,604
--- 84.2% white
--- 9.6% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
Leah G Moloney // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Hale County
- Economic connectedness: 0.59
- Median Income: $32,294
- Population: 14,819
--- 38.3% white
--- 59% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#37. DeKalb County
- Economic connectedness: 0.59
- Median Income: $44,037
- Population: 71,554
--- 83.7% white
--- 1.6% Black
--- 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#36. Etowah County
- Economic connectedness: 0.59
- Median Income: $46,984
- Population: 103,468
--- 78.3% white
--- 15.6% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
JNix // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Pike County
- Economic connectedness: 0.6
- Median Income: $40,106
- Population: 33,176
--- 57.2% white
--- 36.5% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2% Asian
#34. Jefferson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.6
- Median Income: $58,330
- Population: 672,550
--- 50.9% white
--- 42.9% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.7% Asian
#33. Winston County
- Economic connectedness: 0.6
- Median Income: $46,096
- Population: 23,650
--- 94.1% white
--- 0.9% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
EWY Media // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Calhoun County
- Economic connectedness: 0.6
- Median Income: $50,977
- Population: 116,425
--- 72.8% white
--- 21.5% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
#31. Covington County
- Economic connectedness: 0.6
- Median Income: $46,186
- Population: 37,490
--- 84.1% white
--- 12.3% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#30. Henry County
- Economic connectedness: 0.6
- Median Income: $55,870
- Population: 17,165
--- 70% white
--- 26.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
Shackleford Photography // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cherokee County
- Economic connectedness: 0.6
- Median Income: $43,475
- Population: 24,975
--- 91.5% white
--- 4.7% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#28. Crenshaw County
- Economic connectedness: 0.61
- Median Income: $43,103
- Population: 13,300
--- 70.6% white
--- 24.5% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.3% Asian
#27. Morgan County
- Economic connectedness: 0.62
- Median Income: $56,128
- Population: 122,608
--- 77.6% white
--- 13.1% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
JNix // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Pickens County
- Economic connectedness: 0.63
- Median Income: $43,389
- Population: 19,240
--- 57.2% white
--- 40.1% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#25. Bibb County
- Economic connectedness: 0.63
- Median Income: $54,277
- Population: 22,412
--- 75.9% white
--- 22.3% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#24. Chilton County
- Economic connectedness: 0.64
- Median Income: $56,243
- Population: 44,857
--- 81.1% white
--- 8.8% Black
--- 1.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#23. Lawrence County
- Economic connectedness: 0.64
- Median Income: $51,712
- Population: 33,089
--- 77.1% white
--- 10.4% Black
--- 5.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#22. Dale County
- Economic connectedness: 0.64
- Median Income: $50,052
- Population: 49,443
--- 70.8% white
--- 20.7% Black
--- 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.4% Asian
#21. Walker County
- Economic connectedness: 0.64
- Median Income: $47,442
- Population: 65,194
--- 88.6% white
--- 5.9% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
Jennifer Kinkead McNutt // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Marion County
- Economic connectedness: 0.64
- Median Income: $44,551
- Population: 29,392
--- 91.6% white
--- 4% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
Wayne James // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Colbert County
- Economic connectedness: 0.64
- Median Income: $52,017
- Population: 56,789
--- 78.2% white
--- 16.4% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
Tracy Burroughs Brown // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Tuscaloosa County
- Economic connectedness: 0.65
- Median Income: $57,508
- Population: 223,945
--- 62.5% white
--- 32.2% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.7% Asian
#17. Cullman County
- Economic connectedness: 0.66
- Median Income: $52,690
- Population: 87,129
--- 92.8% white
--- 1.1% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#16. Choctaw County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $38,581
- Population: 12,792
--- 56.7% white
--- 41.3% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#15. Coffee County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $59,034
- Population: 53,043
--- 73.8% white
--- 17% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.4% Asian
#14. Fayette County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $43,960
- Population: 16,365
--- 84.2% white
--- 12.7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#13. Cleburne County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $48,333
- Population: 15,046
--- 93.1% white
--- 2.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#12. Elmore County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $67,597
- Population: 87,146
--- 74.7% white
--- 20.8% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
Wayne James // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Lauderdale County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $50,000
- Population: 93,342
--- 85% white
--- 10% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#10. Limestone County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $70,736
- Population: 101,217
--- 77.4% white
--- 13.1% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.8% Asian
JNix // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Washington County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $44,512
- Population: 15,574
--- 65.8% white
--- 23.8% Black
--- 7.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#8. Lamar County
- Economic connectedness: 0.72
- Median Income: $43,324
- Population: 13,929
--- 86.9% white
--- 11.1% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
JNix // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Autauga County
- Economic connectedness: 0.72
- Median Income: $62,660
- Population: 58,239
--- 75.1% white
--- 19.7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.1% Asian
JNix // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Blount County
- Economic connectedness: 0.73
- Median Income: $52,830
- Population: 58,884
--- 92.5% white
--- 1.3% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#5. Lee County
- Economic connectedness: 0.73
- Median Income: $57,191
- Population: 172,223
--- 69.3% white
--- 22.4% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 4.4% Asian
George Dodd III // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Baldwin County
- Economic connectedness: 0.74
- Median Income: $64,346
- Population: 227,131
--- 84.5% white
--- 8.8% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
#3. Madison County
- Economic connectedness: 0.75
- Median Income: $71,153
- Population: 382,149
--- 66.7% white
--- 24.3% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.6% Asian
Riley Camp // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. St. Clair County
- Economic connectedness: 0.78
- Median Income: $65,070
- Population: 90,412
--- 86.2% white
--- 9.5% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
JNix // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Shelby County
- Economic connectedness: 0.82
- Median Income: $82,592
- Population: 220,780
--- 78.7% white
--- 12.6% Black
--- 0.3% 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.
