Family and Urban Structures as Determinants of Income Mobility Differences in Salt Lake

Income mobility is the measure of the difference between a child's income and their parent's income. A higher rate of mobility is indicative of a greater ability to positively change income over generations while a lower rate means there is less mobility. A higher rate of mobility can reduce the amount of economic inequality in an area and can positively impact future generations. Salt Lake City has a higher rate of income mobility compared to the rest of the nation because of specific locational factors. Out of the variables measured in this paper, a lower incidence of single parenthood and lower urban sprawl were found to be the primary components behind Salt Lake's abnormally high mobility. Compared to other cities with high mobility, Salt Lake has greater positive impacts in most variables measured, but the effects are greatly amplified in single parenthood and urban sprawl. Lower rates of single parenthood and less urban sprawl have resulted in an environment that is better for intergenerational mobility. These variables have location specific effects which are identified by measuring areas as a whole rather than examining individual households. When areas are measured this way, specific locational effects can be determined. Using Salt Lake as an example, other cities can examine how to improve their mobility and Salt Lake can continue to bolster a community which supports such high intergenerational mobility.