Metropolitan statistical area

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin

TN  · 2.05M residents  · CBSA 34980

Total wealth · absolute mobility
34th 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin 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 37th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 37th percentile
    this county national median

    30.85 — 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

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

  • δ Extensive margin 69th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 69th 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 33rd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 33th percentile
    this county national median

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

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

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

  • δ Extensive margin 58th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 58th percentile
    this county national median

    9.26 — 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 23rd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 23th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 57th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 57th percentile
    this county national median

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

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

    -10.13 — 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 40th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 40th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 75th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 75th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 69th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 69th percentile
    this county national median

    -0.22 — 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 33rd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 33th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 84th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 84th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 59th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 59th percentile
    this county national median

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

Constituent counties (14)

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

CountyStateα (absolute mobility)β (persistence)δ (extensive margin)n
CannonTN40.760.3422.95150
CheathamTN40.360.316-0.07400
DavidsonTN32.910.4438.803700
DicksonTN40.080.2706.56500
HickmanTN42.050.2362.96200
MaconTN35.380.3650.52200
MauryTN34.180.3896.22650
RobertsonTN40.100.328-2.84650
RutherfordTN40.200.3274.641500
SmithTN32.860.419-2.80250
SumnerTN36.500.4046.481300
TrousdaleTN80
WilliamsonTN44.270.336-0.121300
WilsonTN44.000.285-3.79850

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.