Metropolitan statistical area

Fresno

CA  · 1.02M residents  · CBSA 23420

Total wealth · absolute mobility
42nd percentile nationally

Higher is better.

County-by-county total wealth on absolute mobility. Color shows each county's position on the national distribution (how to read the map).

The five lenses at a glance

Each row shows where Fresno sits on the national distribution for one economic concept across all three mobility measures.

Total income

All income a person receives, including wages and transfers.

  • α Absolute mobility 39th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 39th percentile
    this county national median

    31.95 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.

  • β Persistence 67th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 67th percentile
    this county national median

    0.34 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.

  • δ Extensive margin 96th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 96th percentile
    this county national median

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

Labor income

Income earned from work (wages and salaries).

  • α Absolute mobility 23rd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 23th percentile
    this county national median

    33.57 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.

  • β Persistence 82nd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 82th percentile
    this county national median

    0.38 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.

  • δ Extensive margin 66th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 66th percentile
    this county national median

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

Homeownership

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

  • α Absolute mobility 6th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 6th percentile
    this county national median

    48.46 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.

  • β Persistence 72nd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 72th percentile
    this county national median

    0.44 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.

  • δ Extensive margin 79th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 79th percentile
    this county national median

    -6.52 — The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

Housing wealth

The value of housing assets a person holds.

  • α Absolute mobility 85th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 85th percentile
    this county national median

    42.25 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.

  • β Persistence 78th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 78th percentile
    this county national median

    0.38 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.

  • δ Extensive margin 49th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 49th percentile
    this county national median

    -1.44 — The gap for children whose parents had zero of the resource vs. the lowest positive amount.

Total wealth

The total value of all assets a person holds.

  • α Absolute mobility 41st percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 41th percentile
    this county national median

    39.22 — Higher means children who started at the bottom reach a higher rank on average.

  • β Persistence 78th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 78th percentile
    this county national median

    0.34 — Higher means rank sticks across generations — less mobility.

  • δ Extensive margin 42nd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 42th percentile
    this county national median

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

Constituent counties (2)

Raw α / β / δ values for total wealth across each county in the metro.

CountyStateα (absolute mobility)β (persistence)δ (extensive margin)n
FresnoCA38.470.3552.917300
MaderaCA43.800.249-5.181200

About the data

These estimates are small-area (Fay–Herriot) county-level mobility statistics from the working paper Lands of Opportunity (Binder, Risch & Voorheis 2026, NBER WP 35219). Metro values shown here are population-weighted means of constituent county estimates. See the methodology page for a full description, and the user guide for how to navigate the explorer.