Metropolitan statistical area

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim

CA  · 12.87M residents  · CBSA 31080

Total wealth · absolute mobility
63rd 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 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 73rd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 73th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 16th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 16th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 97th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 97th 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 71st percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 71th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 14th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 14th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 39th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 39th percentile
    this county national median

    7.62 — 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 1st percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 1th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 22nd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 22th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 95th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 95th percentile
    this county national median

    -2.07 — 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

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

  • β Persistence 48th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 48th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 90th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 90th percentile
    this county national median

    1.35 — 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 62nd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 62th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 62nd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 62th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 76th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 76th percentile
    this county national median

    6.02 — 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
Los AngelesCA41.760.3045.5269500
OrangeCA46.420.2917.6221500

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.