Each row shows where Boston-Cambridge-Newton sits on the national distribution for one economic concept across all three mobility measures.

All income a person receives, including wages and transfers.

α Absolute mobility 79th percentile

this county national median

40.08 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.
β Persistence 40th percentile

this county national median

0.30 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.
δ Extensive margin 31st percentile

this county national median

The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

Income earned from work (wages and salaries).

α Absolute mobility 80th percentile

this county national median

43.12 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.
β Persistence 37th percentile

this county national median

0.30 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.
δ Extensive margin 85th percentile

this county national median

11.78 — The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

The probability of owning a home (the extensive margin of housing wealth).

α Absolute mobility 15th percentile

this county national median

51.92 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.
β Persistence 42nd percentile

this county national median

0.38 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.
δ Extensive margin 86th percentile

this county national median

-4.49 — The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

The value of housing assets a person holds.

α Absolute mobility 93rd percentile

this county national median

44.52 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.
β Persistence 65th percentile

this county national median

0.34 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.
δ Extensive margin 85th percentile

this county national median

0.85 — The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

The total value of all assets a person holds.

α Absolute mobility 68th percentile

this county national median

44.27 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.
β Persistence 83rd percentile

this county national median

0.35 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.
δ Extensive margin 86th percentile

this county national median

10.75 — The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

County	State	α (absolute mobility)	β (persistence)	δ (extensive margin)	n
Essex	MA	42.21	0.385	10.09	5900
Middlesex	MA	45.70	0.362	12.63	10500
Norfolk	MA	48.78	0.334	15.50	5200
Plymouth	MA	40.87	0.400	12.54	4600
Rockingham	NH	46.22	0.299	11.35	2800
Strafford	NH	44.29	0.313	4.44	1200
Suffolk	MA	40.10	0.308	-0.27	3900

Boston-Cambridge-Newton

The five lenses at a glance