Milwaukee is among the big cities with the least income mobility, according to a new study that calculates the likelihood that a child born into poverty will successfully climb to a higher rung of the income ladder.

Among the 50 biggest cities, Milwaukee ranks 41st in terms of income mobility, meaning that only 9 big cities had fewer opportunities for advancement. In Milwaukee, children born into the bottom fifth of income had just a 5.6% chance of moving to the top fifth of income later in life. The city with the lowest income mobility was Atlanta, in which poor children had a 4.0% chance of climbing to the highest income rung.

Most people would agree that a child’s opportunity for economic advancement should not hinge on where that child is born and raised. And yet, this study illustrates the strong link between geography and the likelihood that a child will rise out of poverty. All the cities with the lowest income mobility – like Jacksonville, Florida or Detroit – are located in the southeastern U.S. or the industrial Midwest. The cities with the greatest opportunities to climb the income ladder – like Seattle and Boston – are all located in the western U.S. or New England.

Even within Wisconsin, there is a great deal of variation in opportunities for upward mobility. This July 31st Wisconsin Budget Project blog post (“Children in Milwaukee Area Face Roadblocks to Upward Mobility,”) has more information about which areas of Wisconsin have the greatest income mobility.

Rather than allowing geographic circumstances to dictate the economic opportunities offered to our children, we should work to strengthen the high-quality schools, solid family structures, and civic engagement that can lead to greater opportunities to leave poverty behind.

Tamarine Cornelius