Metropolitan statistical area

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach

FL  · 6.14M residents  · CBSA 33100

Total wealth · absolute mobility
41st 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach 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 34th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 34th percentile
    this county national median

    30.97 — 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

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

  • δ Extensive margin 1st percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 1th 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 38th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 38th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 49th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 49th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 41st percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 41th percentile
    this county national median

    7.57 — 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 4th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 4th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 73rd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 73th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 86th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 86th percentile
    this county national median

    -5.43 — 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 33rd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 33th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 85th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 85th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 91st percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 91th percentile
    this county national median

    1.37 — 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 40th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 40th percentile
    this county national median

    39.15 — 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

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

  • δ Extensive margin 67th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 67th percentile
    this county national median

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

Constituent counties (3)

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

CountyStateα (absolute mobility)β (persistence)δ (extensive margin)n
BrowardFL38.000.3585.0710000
Miami-DadeFL40.870.3203.8215000
Palm BeachFL37.060.3937.106800

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.