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 Tennessee 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. Lawrence County
- Economic connectedness: 0.67
- Median Income: $45,721
- Population: 43,967
--- 94.1% white
--- 1.6% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
Ida Jones // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Trousdale County
- Economic connectedness: 0.67
- Median Income: $58,274
- Population: 11,463
--- 82.6% white
--- 10.7% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#48. Sevier County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $54,363
- Population: 98,088
--- 92.5% white
--- 1.1% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.1% Asian
#47. Roane County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $60,044
- Population: 53,313
--- 93% white
--- 3% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
#46. Sullivan County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $49,661
- Population: 157,843
--- 93.8% white
--- 1.9% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#45. Crockett County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $52,136
- Population: 14,012
--- 75.9% white
--- 13.2% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#44. Humphreys County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $49,745
- Population: 18,956
--- 92.5% white
--- 1.1% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
#43. Wayne County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $45,402
- Population: 16,350
--- 90.5% white
--- 5.8% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
Tracy Burroughs Brown // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Bradley County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $55,426
- Population: 107,845
--- 87.6% white
--- 5% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.2% Asian
2Kahns Photo Arts // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Lewis County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $38,664
- Population: 12,485
--- 93.5% white
--- 1.2% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
#40. Perry County
- Economic connectedness: 0.68
- Median Income: $51,786
- Population: 8,313
--- 91.4% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.3% Asian
#39. Hickman County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $48,527
- Population: 24,848
--- 91.6% white
--- 4.3% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#38. Henry County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $43,444
- Population: 32,298
--- 87.7% white
--- 7.4% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#37. Franklin County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $52,189
- Population: 42,528
--- 89.7% white
--- 4.9% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#36. Carroll County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $44,794
- Population: 28,370
--- 86.1% white
--- 8.6% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#35. Jefferson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $54,371
- Population: 54,358
--- 93.7% white
--- 1.8% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#34. Coffee County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $52,626
- Population: 57,227
--- 89.7% white
--- 3.8% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.2% Asian
#33. Henderson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.69
- Median Income: $47,885
- Population: 27,800
--- 88% white
--- 8.1% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
Sabrina Janelle Gordon // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Hardin County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $45,092
- Population: 26,722
--- 93.7% white
--- 3.8% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#31. Overton County
- Economic connectedness: 0.7
- Median Income: $39,737
- Population: 22,364
--- 96.6% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
ultramansk // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Gibson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.71
- Median Income: $49,615
- Population: 50,278
--- 77.5% white
--- 16.3% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#29. Smith County
- Economic connectedness: 0.71
- Median Income: $52,018
- Population: 19,820
--- 91.4% white
--- 2.3% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
Sabrina Janelle Gordon // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Houston County
- Economic connectedness: 0.71
- Median Income: $46,535
- Population: 8,238
--- 93.1% white
--- 3.8% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#27. Loudon County
- Economic connectedness: 0.72
- Median Income: $66,151
- Population: 54,349
--- 91.6% white
--- 1.4% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#26. Davidson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.72
- Median Income: $66,047
- Population: 708,490
--- 61.1% white
--- 26.7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.5% Asian
#25. Marshall County
- Economic connectedness: 0.72
- Median Income: $60,036
- Population: 33,909
--- 89.6% white
--- 5.2% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#24. Dickson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.74
- Median Income: $61,388
- Population: 54,000
--- 91.2% white
--- 3.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#23. Putnam County
- Economic connectedness: 0.75
- Median Income: $49,228
- Population: 78,955
--- 91.1% white
--- 2.4% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.1% Asian
#22. Washington County
- Economic connectedness: 0.75
- Median Income: $52,503
- Population: 132,067
--- 89.5% white
--- 4.1% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.7% Asian
#21. McNairy County
- Economic connectedness: 0.75
- Median Income: $42,691
- Population: 25,916
--- 91% white
--- 5.8% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#20. Anderson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.75
- Median Income: $55,414
- Population: 76,683
--- 89.1% white
--- 3.1% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.4% Asian
#19. Hamilton County
- Economic connectedness: 0.75
- Median Income: $61,050
- Population: 363,790
--- 73.1% white
--- 18.5% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2% Asian
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Chester County
- Economic connectedness: 0.75
- Median Income: $52,692
- Population: 17,278
--- 86.1% white
--- 10.3% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Decatur County
- Economic connectedness: 0.76
- Median Income: $43,817
- Population: 11,460
--- 92.3% white
--- 2.5% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#16. Robertson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.76
- Median Income: $67,597
- Population: 72,309
--- 84.5% white
--- 7.2% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#15. Cannon County
- Economic connectedness: 0.76
- Median Income: $54,223
- Population: 14,309
--- 95.2% white
--- 2.4% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#14. Weakley County
- Economic connectedness: 0.76
- Median Income: $43,773
- Population: 32,948
--- 87.8% white
--- 7.9% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.1% Asian
#13. Blount County
- Economic connectedness: 0.77
- Median Income: $64,593
- Population: 134,042
--- 92.3% white
--- 2.4% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
#12. Knox County
- Economic connectedness: 0.78
- Median Income: $62,911
- Population: 475,286
--- 83.9% white
--- 8.5% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.3% Asian
#11. Maury County
- Economic connectedness: 0.8
- Median Income: $66,353
- Population: 99,011
--- 82.4% white
--- 11.3% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Tipton County
- Economic connectedness: 0.81
- Median Income: $63,783
- Population: 60,868
--- 76.2% white
--- 18.4% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
EWY Media // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Stewart County
- Economic connectedness: 0.82
- Median Income: $51,460
- Population: 13,569
--- 92.7% white
--- 0.3% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
Tracy Burroughs Brown // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sumner County
- Economic connectedness: 0.82
- Median Income: $73,517
- Population: 193,036
--- 84% white
--- 8% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.5% Asian
#7. Rutherford County
- Economic connectedness: 0.82
- Median Income: $72,985
- Population: 335,595
--- 73.3% white
--- 15.2% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.6% Asian
#6. Fayette County
- Economic connectedness: 0.83
- Median Income: $69,729
- Population: 41,584
--- 67.9% white
--- 27.2% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#5. Montgomery County
- Economic connectedness: 0.84
- Median Income: $63,768
- Population: 216,172
--- 67.1% white
--- 19.8% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.2% Asian
#4. Moore County
- Economic connectedness: 0.84
- Median Income: $64,926
- Population: 6,481
--- 92.6% white
--- 1.7% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.2% Asian
#3. Cheatham County
- Economic connectedness: 0.84
- Median Income: $69,132
- Population: 40,878
--- 92.8% white
--- 1.5% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
Tracy Burroughs Brown // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Wilson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $82,224
- Population: 144,748
--- 85.1% white
--- 6.8% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.8% Asian
#1. Williamson County
- Economic connectedness: 1.13
- Median Income: $116,492
- Population: 242,386
--- 85.8% white
--- 4% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 4.9% Asian
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
