This table shows the percentage gain (or loss) in income from growing up in each of the 100 largest commuting zones (metro areas) or counties in the U.S. for children in low-income families (25th percentile). For example, if a child were to grow up in the Seattle metro area instead of an average place, he/she would make about 12% more at age 26. The average level of household income at age 26 is $26,000, so this 12% gain translates to $3,120 of additional income.
Commuting Zones| Rank | Commuting Zone | State | All Kids | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | Washington | 11.6% | 9.1% | 14.2% | |
| Minneapolis | Minnesota | 9.7% | 9.2% | 10.1% | |
| Salt Lake City | Utah | 9.2% | 3.6% | 15.3% | |
| Reading | Pennsylvania | 9.1% | 8.4% | 9.7% | |
| Madison | Wisconsin | 7.4% | 10.4% | 3.9% | |
| Des Moines | Iowa | 6.6% | 4.7% | 8.5% | |
| Omaha | Nebraska | 6.4% | 5% | 7.8% | |
| Washington DC | District Of Columbia | 5.8% | 4.7% | 7.1% | |
| Spokane | Washington | 5.6% | 8.1% | 2.7% | |
| Portland | Oregon | 5.2% | 7.6% | 2.6% | |
| Bakersfield | California | 4.7% | 7% | 2.2% | |
| Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | 4.6% | 5.4% | 3.6% | |
| Syracuse | New York | 4.5% | 7.9% | 0.6% | |
| Canton | Ohio | 4.2% | 8% | 0% | |
| Fort Worth | Texas | 3.7% | 5.8% | 1.4% | |
| Las Vegas | Nevada | 3.7% | -1.7% | 9.6% | |
| Portland | Maine | 3.7% | 6.5% | 0.6% | |
| San Diego | California | 3.3% | 1.1% | 5.7% | |
| Erie | Pennsylvania | 3.3% | 6.5% | -0.3% | |
| Tulsa | Oklahoma | 3.3% | 3.7% | 2.8% | |
| Toms River | New Jersey | 2.9% | -1.1% | 7.4% | |
| Honolulu | Hawaii | 2.9% | 2% | 3.8% | |
| Santa Barbara | California | 2.7% | 0% | 5.5% | |
| San Francisco | California | 2.5% | -0.3% | 5.6% | |
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 2.1% | -0.1% | 4.6% | |
| Boston | Massachusetts | 2.1% | 3.3% | 0.8% | |
| San Jose | California | 1.9% | -7.6% | 12.4% | |
| Manchester | New Hampshire | 1.6% | 3.7% | -0.7% | |
| Denver | Colorado | 1.3% | 2.1% | 0.5% | |
| Allentown | Pennsylvania | 1.3% | -2.2% | 5.1% | |
| Brownsville | Texas | 1.2% | 2.6% | -0.3% | |
| Santa Rosa | California | 1.1% | 0% | 2.3% | |
| Eugene | Oregon | 1% | 2.9% | -1% | |
| Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 1% | 0% | 2.2% | |
| Phoenix | Arizona | 0.7% | -3.2% | 5% | |
| Modesto | California | 0.6% | -2% | 3.4% | |
| Cleveland | Ohio | 0.5% | 5.7% | -5.1% | |
| Sacramento | California | -0.2% | -4.5% | 4.6% | |
| Providence | Rhode Island | -0.3% | -0.1% | -0.5% | |
| Newark | New Jersey | -0.3% | 2.3% | -3.2% | |
| Little Rock | Arkansas | -0.4% | 6.7% | -8.1% | |
| Buffalo | New York | -0.5% | -0.5% | -0.4% | |
| Scranton | Pennsylvania | -0.5% | -4.2% | 3.6% | |
| Gary | Indiana | -1% | 5.5% | -8.2% | |
| El Paso | Texas | -1.4% | 0.9% | -3.9% | |
| Grand Rapids | Michigan | -1.4% | 0.2% | -3.2% | |
| Louisville | Kentucky | -1.7% | 1.4% | -5% | |
| Kansas City | Missouri | -1.7% | -2.5% | -0.8% | |
| Columbus | Ohio | -1.8% | 3.6% | -7.7% | |
| Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | -2% | -5.2% | 1.6% | |
| Springfield | Massachusetts | -2.2% | -0.8% | -3.6% | |
| Albany | New York | -2.3% | 2.9% | -7.9% | |
| Cincinnati | Ohio | -2.3% | -0.1% | -4.7% | |
| Jacksonville | Florida | -2.6% | 1.9% | -7.5% | |
| Dallas | Texas | -2.7% | -8.7% | 3.9% | |
| Miami | Florida | -2.8% | -6.1% | 0.9% | |
| Houston | Texas | -2.8% | -5.6% | 0.3% | |
| Toledo | Ohio | -2.9% | -1.8% | -4% | |
| Youngstown | Ohio | -3.2% | 2.8% | -9.9% | |
| Rockford | Illinois | -3.5% | -4.3% | -2.5% | |
| Dayton | Ohio | -3.7% | -4.3% | -2.9% | |
| Lakeland | Florida | -4.1% | -5.1% | -3% | |
| Austin | Texas | -4.3% | -4.3% | -4.2% | |
| Bridgeport | Connecticut | -4.6% | -6.8% | -2.1% | |
| Knoxville | Tennessee | -5% | -1.6% | -8.8% | |
| St. Louis | Missouri | -5% | -3.6% | -6.5% | |
| Milwaukee | Wisconsin | -5.4% | -6.8% | -3.9% | |
| Nashville | Tennessee | -5.5% | -3.4% | -7.7% | |
| South Bend | Indiana | -5.6% | -3.6% | -7.6% | |
| Richmond | Virginia | -5.8% | -4.8% | -6.7% | |
| Mobile | Alabama | -6.5% | -6.3% | -6.6% | |
| Indianapolis | Indiana | -6.6% | -3.1% | -10.4% | |
| Cape Coral | Florida | -6.8% | -14.7% | 1.9% | |
| Albuquerque | New Mexico | -7% | -11% | -2.7% | |
| Sarasota | Florida | -7.2% | -9.1% | -5% | |
| Tampa | Florida | -7.4% | -10% | -4.4% | |
| Atlanta | Georgia | -8.1% | -7.9% | -8.2% | |
| Baltimore | Maryland | -8.2% | -14.3% | -1.4% | |
| Tucson | Arizona | -8.2% | -18.7% | 3.4% | |
| Poughkeepsie | New York | -8.2% | -8% | -8.4% | |
| Pensacola | Florida | -8.4% | -10.4% | -6.1% | |
| New York | New York | -9% | -8.2% | -9.9% | |
| Los Angeles | California | -9.2% | -12.3% | -5.8% | |
| Virginia Beach | Virginia | -9.4% | -14.3% | -4% | |
| Detroit | Michigan | -9.5% | -15.4% | -2.8% | |
| San Antonio | Texas | -9.7% | -10% | -9.2% | |
| Port St. Lucie | Florida | -9.9% | -15.3% | -3.7% | |
| Baton Rouge | Louisiana | -10.4% | -4.8% | -16.5% | |
| Birmingham | Alabama | -10.5% | -12.8% | -7.9% | |
| Chicago | Illinois | -11.1% | -14% | -7.7% | |
| Fresno | California | -11.1% | -14.5% | -7.2% | |
| Orlando | Florida | -11.4% | -13.4% | -9% | |
| Memphis | Tennessee | -11.6% | -11.1% | -12.1% | |
| Greenville | South Carolina | -12.2% | -12.7% | -11.5% | |
| Raleigh | North Carolina | -12.6% | -11.8% | -13.3% | |
| Columbia | South Carolina | -13.9% | -16.3% | -11% | |
| Charlotte | North Carolina | -14.4% | -11.3% | -17.5% | |
| Greensboro | North Carolina | -14.8% | -15.9% | -13.3% | |
| New Orleans | Louisiana | -14.8% | -11.1% | -18.6% | |
| Fayetteville | North Carolina | -17.8% | -17.8% | -17.6% |