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 Idaho 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.
#42. Jerome County
- Economic connectedness: 0.56
- Median Income: $61,280
- Population: 24,081
--- 81.4% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
#41. Power County
- Economic connectedness: 0.64
- Median Income: $52,116
- Population: 7,854
--- 75.8% white
--- 0% Black
--- 5.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#40. Minidoka County
- Economic connectedness: 0.66
- Median Income: $56,140
- Population: 21,393
--- 81.2% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 1.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#39. Lincoln County
- Economic connectedness: 0.67
- Median Income: $55,988
- Population: 5,184
--- 82.1% white
--- 0% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#38. Gooding County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $56,734
- Population: 15,422
--- 83.4% white
--- 0% Black
--- 1.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
Norm Lane // Shutterstock
6 / 42#37. Benewah County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $50,257
- Population: 9,509
--- 85.5% white
--- 0.8% Black
--- 8.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#36. Owyhee County
- Economic connectedness: 0.71
- Median Income: $54,669
- Population: 11,815
--- 76.4% white
--- 0.4% Black
--- 3.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#35. Cassia County
- Economic connectedness: 0.71
- Median Income: $57,547
- Population: 24,469
--- 83.3% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 1.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#34. Payette County
- Economic connectedness: 0.72
- Median Income: $59,540
- Population: 24,928
--- 84.5% white
--- 0.2% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#33. Clearwater County
- Economic connectedness: 0.72
- Median Income: $50,787
- Population: 8,719
--- 91.5% white
--- 0.3% Black
--- 1.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
jfergusonphotos // Shutterstock
11 / 42#32. Shoshone County
- Economic connectedness: 0.73
- Median Income: $43,188
- Population: 13,124
--- 92.1% white
--- 0.8% Black
--- 1.9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#31. Washington County
- Economic connectedness: 0.75
- Median Income: $45,065
- Population: 10,425
--- 85.6% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#30. Nez Perce County
- Economic connectedness: 0.77
- Median Income: $61,810
- Population: 41,820
--- 88.9% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 5.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#29. Canyon County
- Economic connectedness: 0.77
- Median Income: $60,716
- Population: 227,367
--- 78.4% white
--- 0.6% Black
--- 1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
melissamn // Shutterstock
15 / 42#28. Lewis County
- Economic connectedness: 0.8
- Median Income: $44,028
- Population: 3,613
--- 82.3% white
--- 1.1% Black
--- 5.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.2% Asian
#27. Idaho County
- Economic connectedness: 0.8
- Median Income: $47,508
- Population: 16,494
--- 92.8% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 3.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#26. Twin Falls County
- Economic connectedness: 0.81
- Median Income: $57,430
- Population: 89,128
--- 85.6% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.6% Asian
Tucker James // Shutterstock
18 / 42#25. Bingham County
- Economic connectedness: 0.82
- Median Income: $63,106
- Population: 47,540
--- 80.1% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 5.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
MKStyle // Shutterstock
19 / 42#24. Gem County
- Economic connectedness: 0.83
- Median Income: $59,957
- Population: 18,692
--- 86.1% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#23. Boundary County
- Economic connectedness: 0.83
- Median Income: $51,261
- Population: 11,966
--- 91.5% white
--- 0.2% Black
--- 1.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.4% Asian
#22. Adams County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $52,746
- Population: 4,321
--- 94.2% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#21. Bannock County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $56,472
- Population: 86,362
--- 87.1% white
--- 0.8% Black
--- 2.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.9% Asian
#20. Elmore County
- Economic connectedness: 0.87
- Median Income: $48,475
- Population: 28,396
--- 78.6% white
--- 2.6% Black
--- 2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.8% Asian
#19. Boise County
- Economic connectedness: 0.88
- Median Income: $64,125
- Population: 7,549
--- 91.5% white
--- 0.2% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.7% Asian
#18. Bonner County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $55,206
- Population: 46,481
--- 92.6% white
--- 0.3% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#17. Custer County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $47,663
- Population: 4,273
--- 89% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
davidrh // Shutterstock
27 / 42#16. Butte County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $41,552
- Population: 2,573
--- 94.8% white
--- 0% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#15. Lemhi County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $46,105
- Population: 7,948
--- 93.5% white
--- 0% Black
--- 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#14. Bonneville County
- Economic connectedness: 0.9
- Median Income: $64,928
- Population: 121,771
--- 88.2% white
--- 0.4% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#13. Kootenai County
- Economic connectedness: 0.91
- Median Income: $64,936
- Population: 168,317
--- 90.9% white
--- 0.3% Black
--- 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
#12. Blaine County
- Economic connectedness: 0.92
- Median Income: $71,749
- Population: 23,868
--- 84.5% white
--- 0.5% Black
--- 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#11. Valley County
- Economic connectedness: 0.94
- Median Income: $67,528
- Population: 11,476
--- 97.5% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#10. Fremont County
- Economic connectedness: 0.96
- Median Income: $61,875
- Population: 13,370
--- 92.9% white
--- 0.4% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#9. Caribou County
- Economic connectedness: 0.98
- Median Income: $65,528
- Population: 7,003
--- 94% white
--- 0% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#8. Bear Lake County
- Economic connectedness: 0.99
- Median Income: $60,337
- Population: 6,327
--- 94% white
--- 0.2% Black
--- 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
Charles Knowles // Shutterstock
36 / 42#7. Ada County
- Economic connectedness: 0.99
- Median Income: $75,115
- Population: 485,246
--- 87.6% white
--- 1.3% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.6% Asian
#6. Franklin County
- Economic connectedness: 1.02
- Median Income: $56,677
- Population: 14,036
--- 92.5% white
--- 0% Black
--- 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
B Brown // Shutterstock
38 / 42#5. Jefferson County
- Economic connectedness: 1.02
- Median Income: $69,097
- Population: 30,427
--- 89.1% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#4. Teton County
- Economic connectedness: 1.03
- Median Income: $75,837
- Population: 11,490
--- 86% white
--- 0% Black
--- 1.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#3. Oneida County
- Economic connectedness: 1.04
- Median Income: $64,766
- Population: 4,514
--- 95.5% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
Danita Delimont // Shutterstock
41 / 42#2. Latah County
- Economic connectedness: 1.08
- Median Income: $56,673
- Population: 39,464
--- 89.9% white
--- 1.2% Black
--- 1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.2% Asian
#1. Madison County
- Economic connectedness: 1.28
- Median Income: $53,498
- Population: 50,979
--- 91.5% white
--- 0.5% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.5% Asian
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
