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 Virginia 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.
Jordan Kercheff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Craig County
- Economic connectedness: 0.84
- Median Income: $60,283
- Population: 4,914
--- 96.2% white
--- 0% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#49. Roanoke County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $74,622
- Population: 96,303
--- 86.8% white
--- 5.8% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.6% Asian
Khairil Azhar Junos // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Westmoreland County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $53,113
- Population: 18,324
--- 65.1% white
--- 25.5% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
EchoFree // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Middlesex County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $63,782
- Population: 10,686
--- 78.8% white
--- 15.7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.4% Asian
Ken Schulze // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Chesapeake
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $85,563
- Population: 247,172
--- 58.3% white
--- 29.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.5% Asian
#45. Amelia County
- Economic connectedness: 0.87
- Median Income: $57,420
- Population: 13,220
--- 75.5% white
--- 22.1% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
refrina // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Manassas
- Economic connectedness: 0.87
- Median Income: $101,934
- Population: 42,596
--- 57.6% white
--- 13.2% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 5.6% Asian
#43. Winchester
- Economic connectedness: 0.87
- Median Income: $61,321
- Population: 28,194
--- 74.4% white
--- 9.6% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.3% Asian
Timothy L Barnes // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Surry County
- Economic connectedness: 0.88
- Median Income: $61,105
- Population: 6,563
--- 55.7% white
--- 43.2% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#41. Floyd County
- Economic connectedness: 0.88
- Median Income: $51,612
- Population: 15,536
--- 94.3% white
--- 2.8% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
ButtermilkgirlVirginia // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Louisa County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $70,974
- Population: 37,136
--- 78.6% white
--- 13.7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
ThomasPerkins.org // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Botetourt County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $72,941
- Population: 33,542
--- 93% white
--- 2.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
Carolyn M Carpenter // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Caroline County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $76,528
- Population: 30,861
--- 65.1% white
--- 25.5% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
#37. Shenandoah County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $58,609
- Population: 44,037
--- 90.6% white
--- 1.9% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.1% Asian
#36. Greene County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $73,844
- Population: 20,374
--- 81.3% white
--- 6.3% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.1% Asian
Barry Blackburn // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Gloucester County
- Economic connectedness: 0.9
- Median Income: $77,733
- Population: 38,586
--- 85.4% white
--- 8.6% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
refrina // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Culpeper County
- Economic connectedness: 0.9
- Median Income: $85,274
- Population: 52,021
--- 72.2% white
--- 13.5% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
#33. Henrico County
- Economic connectedness: 0.91
- Median Income: $76,345
- Population: 331,924
--- 53.6% white
--- 29.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 9.2% Asian
#32. Dinwiddie County
- Economic connectedness: 0.91
- Median Income: $68,918
- Population: 28,040
--- 64.5% white
--- 31.5% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
#31. James City County
- Economic connectedness: 0.92
- Median Income: $94,907
- Population: 77,733
--- 78.1% white
--- 12.7% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.6% Asian
#30. Mathews County
- Economic connectedness: 0.92
- Median Income: $73,229
- Population: 8,548
--- 87% white
--- 9.3% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
Melinda Fawver // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Isle of Wight County
- Economic connectedness: 0.93
- Median Income: $84,673
- Population: 38,301
--- 71.2% white
--- 22.6% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
#28. Fluvanna County
- Economic connectedness: 0.93
- Median Income: $82,983
- Population: 27,078
--- 78.5% white
--- 14.4% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.2% Asian
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Frederick County
- Economic connectedness: 0.94
- Median Income: $84,317
- Population: 90,287
--- 87.8% white
--- 4% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.6% Asian
Bryan Pollard // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Radford
- Economic connectedness: 0.94
- Median Income: $44,360
- Population: 16,205
--- 84.6% white
--- 9.1% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.9% Asian
#25. King William County
- Economic connectedness: 0.95
- Median Income: $74,592
- Population: 17,511
--- 78.8% white
--- 15.2% Black
--- 1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.4% Asian
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Warren County
- Economic connectedness: 0.95
- Median Income: $72,840
- Population: 40,442
--- 86.7% white
--- 4.5% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.2% Asian
#23. Fredericksburg
- Economic connectedness: 0.95
- Median Income: $72,293
- Population: 28,027
--- 61.9% white
--- 20.7% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.5% Asian
ImagineerInc // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Albemarle County
- Economic connectedness: 0.96
- Median Income: $90,568
- Population: 111,438
--- 79.9% white
--- 8.8% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 5.6% Asian
#21. Goochland County
- Economic connectedness: 0.96
- Median Income: $100,517
- Population: 24,300
--- 79% white
--- 15.3% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.7% Asian
Kristi Blokhin // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Orange County
- Economic connectedness: 0.97
- Median Income: $79,211
- Population: 36,001
--- 79.2% white
--- 12.8% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.4% Asian
#19. Madison County
- Economic connectedness: 0.97
- Median Income: $72,349
- Population: 13,731
--- 86.4% white
--- 7.4% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
Sherry V Smith // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Virginia Beach
- Economic connectedness: 0.98
- Median Income: $81,810
- Population: 457,658
--- 63.9% white
--- 19% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 7% Asian
Adam Mustafa // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Montgomery County
- Economic connectedness: 0.98
- Median Income: $60,666
- Population: 99,294
--- 84.9% white
--- 4.3% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 6.5% Asian
Regine Poirier // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Spotsylvania County
- Economic connectedness: 0.99
- Median Income: $98,973
- Population: 138,493
--- 69.7% white
--- 16.5% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.7% Asian
#15. King George County
- Economic connectedness: 0.99
- Median Income: $101,599
- Population: 26,597
--- 75.2% white
--- 16.7% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.2% Asian
#14. Prince William County
- Economic connectedness: 1.
- Median Income: $113,831
- Population: 477,224
--- 52.8% white
--- 20.9% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 9.4% Asian
#13. Hanover County
- Economic connectedness: 1.01
- Median Income: $96,911
- Population: 109,232
--- 84.1% white
--- 8.7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.7% Asian
OJUP // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. New Kent County
- Economic connectedness: 1.01
- Median Income: $101,628
- Population: 22,519
--- 80.5% white
--- 12.7% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
#11. York County
- Economic connectedness: 1.04
- Median Income: $96,144
- Population: 69,635
--- 72.2% white
--- 13.1% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 5.4% Asian
John Couture // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Powhatan County
- Economic connectedness: 1.08
- Median Income: $101,395
- Population: 29,979
--- 86.2% white
--- 9.1% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
Comfreeze.Net Inc // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Poquoson
- Economic connectedness: 1.09
- Median Income: $112,026
- Population: 12,382
--- 93.1% white
--- 1.5% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.8% Asian
refrina // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Clarke County
- Economic connectedness: 1.09
- Median Income: $86,633
- Population: 14,726
--- 89% white
--- 4.8% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.5% Asian
#7. Fauquier County
- Economic connectedness: 1.09
- Median Income: $111,368
- Population: 72,416
--- 84.3% white
--- 6.9% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.6% Asian
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Stafford County
- Economic connectedness: 1.1
- Median Income: $119,818
- Population: 154,204
--- 63.3% white
--- 18.2% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.3% Asian
Kristi Blokhin // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Rappahannock County
- Economic connectedness: 1.12
- Median Income: $90,307
- Population: 7,400
--- 88.9% white
--- 4% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Alexandria
- Economic connectedness: 1.17
- Median Income: $105,450
- Population: 158,185
--- 58.8% white
--- 21.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 6.4% Asian
MarkVanDykePhotography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Fairfax County
- Economic connectedness: 1.19
- Median Income: $133,974
- Population: 1,146,825
--- 56.6% white
--- 9.8% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 20% Asian
#2. Loudoun County
- Economic connectedness: 1.22
- Median Income: $156,821
- Population: 413,574
--- 59.8% white
--- 7.6% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 20% Asian
#1. Arlington County
- Economic connectedness: 1.27
- Median Income: $128,145
- Population: 235,764
--- 67.2% white
--- 9.4% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 10.2% Asian
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
