Metropolitan statistical area

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara

CA  · 1.94M residents  · CBSA 41940

Total wealth · absolute mobility
84th 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 Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara 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 95th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 95th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 6th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 6th percentile
    this county national median

    0.24 — 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 97th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 97th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 5th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 5th percentile
    this county national median

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

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

    9.83 — 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

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

  • β Persistence 5th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 5th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 93rd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 93th percentile
    this county national median

    -3.73 — 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 100th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 100th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 13th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 13th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • δ Extensive margin 25th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 25th percentile
    this county national median

    -2.28 — 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 83rd percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 83th percentile
    this county national median

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

  • β Persistence 60th percentile
    National median: 50th percentileThis county: 60th percentile
    this county national median

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

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

    4.81 — 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
San BenitoCA44.300.2432.18650
Santa ClaraCA47.640.3024.9612000

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.