Metropolitan statistical area

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont

CA  · 4.58M residents  · CBSA 41860

Total wealth · absolute mobility
71st 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont 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 87th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 87th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 18th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 18th percentile
    this county national median

    0.27 — 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 87th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 87th percentile
    this county national median

    44.50 — 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

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

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

    9.98 — 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 16th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 16th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 31st percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 31th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 70th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 70th percentile
    this county national median

    -5.30 — 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 92nd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 92th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 38th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 38th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 43rd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 43th percentile
    this county national median

    -2.10 — 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 70th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 70th percentile
    this county national median

    44.67 — 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

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

  • δ Extensive margin 94th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 94th percentile
    this county national median

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

Constituent counties (5)

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

CountyStateα (absolute mobility)β (persistence)δ (extensive margin)n
AlamedaCA44.490.3209.379900
Contra CostaCA41.050.38511.447800
MarinCA50.240.29311.871600
San FranciscoCA51.500.26613.673200
San MateoCA44.530.33312.655000

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.