Counties where children have the best opportunity for economic mobility in Wisconsin
This story originally appeared on Wealth Enhancement Group and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Counties where children have the best opportunity for economic mobility in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin 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. Manitowoc County
- Median Income: $61,454
- Population: 81,103
--- 92% white
--- 1.2% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.6% Asian
#49. Juneau County
- Median Income: $58,561
- Population: 26,595
--- 91.5% white
--- 2.4% Black
--- 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#48. Washburn County
- Median Income: $54,550
- Population: 16,561
--- 94.4% white
--- 0.6% Black
--- 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#47. Barron County
- Median Income: $55,256
- Population: 46,529
--- 93.3% white
--- 1.8% Black
--- 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#46. Marquette County
- Median Income: $55,386
- Population: 15,515
--- 95.4% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#45. Bayfield County
- Median Income: $62,859
- Population: 16,031
--- 85% white
--- 1.2% Black
--- 9% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#44. Richland County
- Median Income: $56,089
- Population: 17,353
--- 93.9% white
--- 0.6% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#43. Fond du Lac County
- Median Income: $66,390
- Population: 103,890
--- 91.3% white
--- 1.7% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.5% Asian
#42. Oconto County
- Median Income: $68,426
- Population: 38,691
--- 95.2% white
--- 0.4% Black
--- 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#41. Sauk County
- Median Income: $67,702
- Population: 65,428
--- 92.6% white
--- 0.8% Black
--- 1.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#40. Green Lake County
- Median Income: $60,597
- Population: 18,990
--- 94.7% white
--- 1% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#39. Burnett County
- Median Income: $55,890
- Population: 16,356
--- 91.5% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 3.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#38. Douglas County
- Median Income: $59,688
- Population: 44,034
--- 92% white
--- 1.3% Black
--- 1.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.3% Asian
#37. Oneida County
- Median Income: $62,660
- Population: 37,468
--- 95.5% white
--- 0.5% Black
--- 1.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#36. Lafayette County
- Median Income: $65,009
- Population: 16,662
--- 95.9% white
--- 0.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#35. Price County
- Median Income: $52,052
- Population: 14,003
--- 94.8% white
--- 0.4% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#34. Sheboygan County
- Median Income: $65,352
- Population: 117,528
--- 86.3% white
--- 2.1% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 6% Asian
#33. Waupaca County
- Median Income: $65,070
- Population: 51,769
--- 94.9% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#32. Green County
- Median Income: $70,267
- Population: 37,098
--- 95.4% white
--- 0.5% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#31. Wood County
- Median Income: $57,996
- Population: 74,107
--- 93% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.1% Asian
#30. Lincoln County
- Median Income: $61,363
- Population: 28,378
--- 95.6% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#29. Walworth County
- Median Income: $69,382
- Population: 105,945
--- 89.9% white
--- 0.8% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#28. Taylor County
- Median Income: $56,350
- Population: 19,960
--- 96.5% white
--- 0.2% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#27. Jefferson County
- Median Income: $71,735
- Population: 84,808
--- 92.3% white
--- 0.9% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.5% Asian
#26. Marathon County
- Median Income: $67,940
- Population: 137,597
--- 89.3% white
--- 0.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 5.5% Asian
#25. Crawford County
- Median Income: $54,526
- Population: 16,167
--- 94.5% white
--- 1.9% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#24. Dodge County
- Median Income: $66,403
- Population: 89,274
--- 91.7% white
--- 2.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#23. Kewaunee County
- Median Income: $72,328
- Population: 20,535
--- 95.2% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.6% Asian
#22. Winnebago County
- Median Income: $63,938
- Population: 171,304
--- 89.8% white
--- 2.6% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3% Asian
#21. Calumet County
- Median Income: $78,453
- Population: 52,128
--- 92.3% white
--- 0.9% Black
--- 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.4% Asian
#20. Door County
- Median Income: $63,856
- Population: 29,713
--- 94.4% white
--- 0.5% Black
--- 1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#19. Columbia County
- Median Income: $73,786
- Population: 58,219
--- 93.3% white
--- 1.9% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#18. La Crosse County
- Median Income: $62,817
- Population: 120,291
--- 89.9% white
--- 1.6% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 4.4% Asian
#17. Outagamie County
- Median Income: $72,695
- Population: 189,620
--- 88.5% white
--- 1.4% Black
--- 1.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.5% Asian
#16. Chippewa County
- Median Income: $63,172
- Population: 65,877
--- 94% white
--- 1.6% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.4% Asian
#15. Dane County
- Median Income: $78,452
- Population: 555,474
--- 81.6% white
--- 5.1% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 6% Asian
#14. Portage County
- Median Income: $65,550
- Population: 70,378
--- 91.7% white
--- 0.8% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3% Asian
#13. Grant County
- Median Income: $58,289
- Population: 52,210
--- 95.6% white
--- 1.6% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#12. Dunn County
- Median Income: $64,420
- Population: 45,254
--- 93% white
--- 0.8% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3% Asian
#11. Vernon County
- Median Income: $57,933
- Population: 30,719
--- 96% white
--- 0.2% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.3% Asian
#10. Polk County
- Median Income: $67,878
- Population: 44,806
--- 95.4% white
--- 0.4% Black
--- 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#9. Eau Claire County
- Median Income: $64,777
- Population: 105,206
--- 90% white
--- 1.3% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.7% Asian
#8. Iowa County
- Median Income: $73,716
- Population: 23,715
--- 94.9% white
--- 1% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.7% Asian
#7. Buffalo County
- Median Income: $61,167
- Population: 13,314
--- 96.1% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0% Asian
#6. Washington County
- Median Income: $85,574
- Population: 136,300
--- 93.1% white
--- 1.4% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.4% Asian
#5. Waukesha County
- Median Income: $94,310
- Population: 405,332
--- 89.9% white
--- 1.6% Black
--- 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 3.8% Asian
#4. Pepin County
- Median Income: $63,015
- Population: 7,328
--- 97.1% white
--- 0.4% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.4% Asian
#3. Pierce County
- Median Income: $78,341
- Population: 42,204
--- 94.1% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 1.2% Asian
#2. St. Croix County
- Median Income: $91,320
- Population: 92,495
--- 94.2% white
--- 0.7% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 0.9% Asian
#1. Ozaukee County
- Median Income: $86,915
- Population: 91,029
--- 92% white
--- 1.3% Black
--- 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
--- 2.1% Asian
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.