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 Georgia 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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#50. Heard County
– Economic connectedness: 0.66
– Median Income: $55,635
– Population: 11,440
— 86.2% white
— 9.9% Black
— 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.8% Asian
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#49. Rockdale County
– Economic connectedness: 0.66
– Median Income: $64,230
– Population: 92,983
— 33.5% white
— 56.3% Black
— 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.9% Asian
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#48. Chatham County
– Economic connectedness: 0.66
– Median Income: $61,064
– Population: 294,815
— 50.6% white
— 40.4% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 2.8% Asian
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#47. Walker County
– Economic connectedness: 0.67
– Median Income: $48,633
– Population: 67,772
— 91.4% white
— 4% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.8% Asian
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#46. Jasper County
– Economic connectedness: 0.67
– Median Income: $52,322
– Population: 14,478
— 76% white
— 18.4% Black
— 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.2% Asian
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#45. DeKalb County
– Economic connectedness: 0.67
– Median Income: $69,423
– Population: 758,634
— 32.6% white
— 52.8% Black
— 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 6.1% Asian
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#44. Bulloch County
– Economic connectedness: 0.68
– Median Income: $50,583
– Population: 79,635
— 64% white
— 27.9% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.5% Asian
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#43. Lincoln County
– Economic connectedness: 0.68
– Median Income: $44,087
– Population: 7,686
— 67.7% white
— 29% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.1% Asian
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#42. Habersham County
– Economic connectedness: 0.68
– Median Income: $56,680
– Population: 45,767
— 83.5% white
— 3.3% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 2% Asian
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#41. Glascock County
– Economic connectedness: 0.68
– Median Income: $53,125
– Population: 2,903
— 88.7% white
— 10.2% Black
— 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0% Asian
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#40. Henry County
– Economic connectedness: 0.69
– Median Income: $73,491
– Population: 236,615
— 43% white
— 46.7% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 3.3% Asian
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#39. Butts County
– Economic connectedness: 0.69
– Median Income: $53,613
– Population: 24,950
— 67% white
— 28.1% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.3% Asian
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#38. Haralson County
– Economic connectedness: 0.7
– Median Income: $57,752
– Population: 29,685
— 91.2% white
— 4.8% Black
— 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.3% Asian
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#37. Rabun County
– Economic connectedness: 0.7
– Median Income: $48,652
– Population: 16,731
— 90.9% white
— 1.4% Black
— 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.6% Asian
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#36. Carroll County
– Economic connectedness: 0.7
– Median Income: $62,498
– Population: 118,402
— 71.9% white
— 20% Black
— 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.8% Asian
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#35. Douglas County
– Economic connectedness: 0.71
– Median Income: $67,731
– Population: 143,520
— 42.6% white
— 48.3% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.8% Asian
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#34. Liberty County
– Economic connectedness: 0.71
– Median Income: $50,617
– Population: 64,334
— 42.2% white
— 41.4% Black
— 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.9% Asian
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#33. Dade County
– Economic connectedness: 0.71
– Median Income: $47,675
– Population: 16,313
— 94.2% white
— 1.1% Black
— 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.7% Asian
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#32. Fannin County
– Economic connectedness: 0.71
– Median Income: $49,810
– Population: 25,198
— 94.2% white
— 0.3% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.5% Asian
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#31. Jones County
– Economic connectedness: 0.72
– Median Income: $61,701
– Population: 28,297
— 72% white
— 24.4% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.6% Asian
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#30. Banks County
– Economic connectedness: 0.73
– Median Income: $57,893
– Population: 18,061
— 89.5% white
— 2.6% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.3% Asian
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#29. Bartow County
– Economic connectedness: 0.73
– Median Income: $65,559
– Population: 107,868
— 80.6% white
— 10.3% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1% Asian
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#28. Union County
– Economic connectedness: 0.73
– Median Income: $52,509
– Population: 24,183
— 94.5% white
— 0.8% Black
— 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.3% Asian
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#27. Pike County
– Economic connectedness: 0.74
– Median Income: $76,152
– Population: 18,754
— 87.8% white
— 8.6% Black
— 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.4% Asian
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#26. Long County
– Economic connectedness: 0.74
– Median Income: $52,742
– Population: 16,398
— 59.7% white
— 23.2% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.9% Asian
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#25. Clarke County
– Economic connectedness: 0.75
– Median Income: $44,070
– Population: 128,195
— 60.6% white
— 27.8% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 3.9% Asian
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#24. Towns County
– Economic connectedness: 0.75
– Median Income: $53,084
– Population: 12,300
— 94.3% white
— 2.3% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.4% Asian
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#23. Gwinnett County
– Economic connectedness: 0.77
– Median Income: $75,853
– Population: 948,505
— 42.6% white
— 28.3% Black
— 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 12.3% Asian
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#22. Walton County
– Economic connectedness: 0.77
– Median Income: $71,692
– Population: 95,453
— 75.7% white
— 18.4% Black
— 0% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.5% Asian
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#21. Barrow County
– Economic connectedness: 0.77
– Median Income: $68,365
– Population: 82,138
— 73.6% white
— 12.5% Black
— 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 4% Asian
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#20. Fulton County
– Economic connectedness: 0.78
– Median Income: $77,635
– Population: 1,054,286
— 42.5% white
— 43.5% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 7.5% Asian
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#19. Catoosa County
– Economic connectedness: 0.78
– Median Income: $62,669
– Population: 67,579
— 90.9% white
— 2.3% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.6% Asian
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#18. Effingham County
– Economic connectedness: 0.78
– Median Income: $72,279
– Population: 63,448
— 78.6% white
— 13.6% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.7% Asian
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#17. Harris County
– Economic connectedness: 0.78
– Median Income: $82,244
– Population: 34,316
— 78.1% white
— 15.7% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.6% Asian
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#16. Cobb County
– Economic connectedness: 0.79
– Median Income: $86,013
– Population: 762,500
— 55% white
— 27.5% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 5.5% Asian
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#15. Coweta County
– Economic connectedness: 0.8
– Median Income: $83,486
– Population: 144,928
— 74.5% white
— 17.6% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 2.1% Asian
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#14. Jackson County
– Economic connectedness: 0.8
– Median Income: $73,455
– Population: 73,839
— 83.9% white
— 7.4% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.9% Asian
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#13. White County
– Economic connectedness: 0.8
– Median Income: $64,729
– Population: 27,886
— 92% white
— 1.7% Black
— 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.6% Asian
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#12. Pickens County
– Economic connectedness: 0.81
– Median Income: $71,637
– Population: 32,814
— 87.8% white
— 1.3% Black
— 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.3% Asian
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#11. Camden County
– Economic connectedness: 0.81
– Median Income: $61,636
– Population: 54,256
— 71.2% white
— 18.4% Black
— 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 2.1% Asian
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#10. Columbia County
– Economic connectedness: 0.84
– Median Income: $85,928
– Population: 154,274
— 71% white
— 16.9% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 4.1% Asian
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#9. Bryan County
– Economic connectedness: 0.85
– Median Income: $81,032
– Population: 43,278
— 73.6% white
— 14.2% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.7% Asian
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#8. Lumpkin County
– Economic connectedness: 0.88
– Median Income: $64,179
– Population: 33,188
— 93.5% white
— 1.5% Black
— 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.5% Asian
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#7. Paulding County
– Economic connectedness: 0.9
– Median Income: $80,234
– Population: 165,688
— 71.8% white
— 20.3% Black
— 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.2% Asian
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#6. Fayette County
– Economic connectedness: 0.93
– Median Income: $96,084
– Population: 117,828
— 62.9% white
— 24% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 4.7% Asian
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#5. Dawson County
– Economic connectedness: 0.93
– Median Income: $77,630
– Population: 26,202
— 93.9% white
— 0.9% Black
— 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 0.8% Asian
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#4. Chattahoochee County
– Economic connectedness: 0.96
– Median Income: $50,018
– Population: 9,533
— 62.9% white
— 19.5% Black
— 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 3.1% Asian
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#3. Cherokee County
– Economic connectedness: 0.97
– Median Income: $90,681
– Population: 262,155
— 83% white
— 7.3% Black
— 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 1.8% Asian
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#2. Oconee County
– Economic connectedness: 0.99
– Median Income: $106,165
– Population: 41,006
— 86.7% white
— 3.6% Black
— 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 3.8% Asian
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#1. Forsyth County
– Economic connectedness: 1.04
– Median Income: $120,999
– Population: 245,754
— 72.6% white
— 3.8% Black
— 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native
— 15.4% Asian
This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
This story originally appeared on Wealth Enhancement Group and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
