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 Texas 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.
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1 / 50#50. Midland County
- Economic connectedness: 0.84
- Median Income: $88,210
- Population: 166,964
--- 73.3% white
--- 6.4% Black
--- 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2% Asian
#49. Andrews County
- Economic connectedness: 0.84
- Median Income: $80,518
- Population: 18,184
--- 74.5% white
--- 2.2% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#48. Montague County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $59,127
- Population: 19,850
--- 92.4% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#47. Wilson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $84,042
- Population: 49,374
--- 82.8% white
--- 1.5% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#46. Presidio County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $26,395
- Population: 6,328
--- 69.6% white
--- 0% Black
--- 1.9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.4% Asian
#45. Gillespie County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $64,438
- Population: 26,730
--- 88% white
--- 0.2% Black
--- 2.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
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7 / 50#44. Lynn County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $49,747
- Population: 5,587
--- 76.3% white
--- 1% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#43. Mills County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $53,483
- Population: 4,520
--- 84.6% white
--- 0.5% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
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9 / 50#42. Hays County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $71,061
- Population: 234,573
--- 76.6% white
--- 4% Black
--- 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.5% Asian
#41. Lampasas County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $66,506
- Population: 21,443
--- 82.2% white
--- 3.7% Black
--- 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.3% Asian
#40. Randall County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $70,544
- Population: 139,176
--- 83.7% white
--- 3.3% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2% Asian
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12 / 50#39. Guadalupe County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $80,047
- Population: 169,477
--- 69.4% white
--- 8.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.7% Asian
#38. Hemphill County
- Economic connectedness: 0.85
- Median Income: $54,867
- Population: 3,450
--- 77.8% white
--- 1.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#37. Hamilton County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $44,030
- Population: 8,211
--- 91.9% white
--- 0.3% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#36. Callahan County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $55,820
- Population: 13,781
--- 92% white
--- 1% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#35. Chambers County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $93,707
- Population: 45,257
--- 79.2% white
--- 7.6% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#34. Fort Bend County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $102,590
- Population: 806,497
--- 44.8% white
--- 20.2% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 21% Asian
#33. Fayette County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $66,624
- Population: 24,445
--- 86.8% white
--- 6.2% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
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19 / 50#32. Van Zandt County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $61,121
- Population: 58,782
--- 91.6% white
--- 2.9% Black
--- 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
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20 / 50#31. Erath County
- Economic connectedness: 0.86
- Median Income: $56,691
- Population: 42,288
--- 86% white
--- 1.4% Black
--- 1.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.1% Asian
#30. Fisher County
- Economic connectedness: 0.87
- Median Income: $55,862
- Population: 3,720
--- 83.4% white
--- 2.1% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
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22 / 50#29. Johnson County
- Economic connectedness: 0.87
- Median Income: $70,767
- Population: 177,022
--- 85.6% white
--- 4.4% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.1% Asian
#28. Martin County
- Economic connectedness: 0.88
- Median Income: $69,194
- Population: 5,213
--- 83.5% white
--- 0.5% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#27. Archer County
- Economic connectedness: 0.88
- Median Income: $67,083
- Population: 8,616
--- 92.9% white
--- 0.5% Black
--- 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.1% Asian
#26. Real County
- Economic connectedness: 0.88
- Median Income: $44,083
- Population: 2,852
--- 95.8% white
--- 1.4% Black
--- 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#25. Shackelford County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $54,896
- Population: 3,145
--- 93.2% white
--- 0.2% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#24. Mason County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $73,186
- Population: 3,948
--- 85.9% white
--- 0% Black
--- 1.9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.8% Asian
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28 / 50#23. Upton County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $58,333
- Population: 3,340
--- 42.7% white
--- 3.8% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#22. Goliad County
- Economic connectedness: 0.89
- Median Income: $52,335
- Population: 7,085
--- 83.2% white
--- 4.9% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
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30 / 50#21. Hood County
- Economic connectedness: 0.91
- Median Income: $75,851
- Population: 60,521
--- 91.9% white
--- 1% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
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31 / 50#20. Clay County
- Economic connectedness: 0.91
- Median Income: $69,967
- Population: 10,236
--- 92.8% white
--- 0.4% Black
--- 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#19. Wise County
- Economic connectedness: 0.91
- Median Income: $75,482
- Population: 67,877
--- 88.3% white
--- 1.4% Black
--- 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
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33 / 50#18. Hardin County
- Economic connectedness: 0.91
- Median Income: $65,347
- Population: 56,124
--- 88.8% white
--- 6.1% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#17. Donley County
- Economic connectedness: 0.92
- Median Income: $52,888
- Population: 3,266
--- 87.6% white
--- 6.8% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#16. Bandera County
- Economic connectedness: 0.92
- Median Income: $64,495
- Population: 20,839
--- 85.4% white
--- 1% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#15. Rockwall County
- Economic connectedness: 0.95
- Median Income: $111,595
- Population: 105,227
--- 77.4% white
--- 7.2% Black
--- 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.1% Asian
#14. Somervell County
- Economic connectedness: 0.95
- Median Income: $89,253
- Population: 9,170
--- 82.4% white
--- 2.1% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.1% Asian
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38 / 50#13. Sterling County
- Economic connectedness: 0.95
- Median Income: $55,481
- Population: 1,391
--- 76.9% white
--- 0.1% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#12. Coke County
- Economic connectedness: 0.97
- Median Income: $42,639
- Population: 3,288
--- 87.8% white
--- 1% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#11. Parker County
- Economic connectedness: 0.97
- Median Income: $88,535
- Population: 144,803
--- 89.4% white
--- 1.6% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#10. Blanco County
- Economic connectedness: 0.98
- Median Income: $71,201
- Population: 11,313
--- 81.1% white
--- 0% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#9. Brewster County
- Economic connectedness: 0.98
- Median Income: $48,679
- Population: 9,501
--- 80.7% white
--- 0.3% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.9% Asian
#8. Denton County
- Economic connectedness: 0.98
- Median Income: $96,265
- Population: 885,012
--- 68.2% white
--- 10.3% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 9.5% Asian
#7. Comal County
- Economic connectedness: 0.99
- Median Income: $85,912
- Population: 156,257
--- 84.1% white
--- 2.3% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.3% Asian
#6. Williamson County
- Economic connectedness: 1.
- Median Income: $94,705
- Population: 591,759
--- 71.9% white
--- 6.5% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 7.5% Asian
#5. Kendall County
- Economic connectedness: 1.02
- Median Income: $100,706
- Population: 43,842
--- 82.9% white
--- 0.3% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
#4. Carson County
- Economic connectedness: 1.05
- Median Income: $76,786
- Population: 5,856
--- 91.8% white
--- 1% Black
--- 2.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#3. Collin County
- Economic connectedness: 1.06
- Median Income: $104,327
- Population: 1,039,812
--- 62.9% white
--- 10.1% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 16.3% Asian
#2. Armstrong County
- Economic connectedness: 1.07
- Median Income: $71,136
- Population: 1,980
--- 93.6% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.2% Asian
#1. Oldham County
- Economic connectedness: 1.11
- Median Income: $68,077
- Population: 2,251
--- 88% white
--- 4.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1% Asian
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
