Diverse neighborhoods with mentorship opportunities have the strongest upward mobility for Black individuals, according to the Census Bureau.

• Life outcomes are influenced by neighborhood characteristics such as income and safety, as per the Census Bureau.
• Black children from residential areas with low incarceration rates and relaxed racial attitudes tend to have higher upward mobility.
• A study found that about 5% of U.S. neighborhoods have characteristics that are enhancing the economic prospects of the typical African American male.

A study from the Census Bureau has shed new light on where families should move to improve their children's chances of success. The research revealed significant racial disparities between demographic groups. For instance, white families tend to have high rates of upward mobility in high-income neighborhoods, while Black families often lose wealth over generations. Low-income Black boys are most likely to succeed in neighborhoods with low incarceration rates, a large adult male population, and low racial discrimination, as measured using Google search results. An interactive map created through a collaboration between the Census Bureau, Harvard University, and Brown University can help families identify which neighborhoods are most likely to produce children who move into higher tax brackets. The dataset used for this research contains 35 years of anonymized tax filings from 20 million Americans.

In select neighborhoods of Maryland, Virginia, and New York, Black households have produced children who outearned the national median as they matured into adulthood. Neighborhoods in Houston and Atlanta have shown where targeted improvements are having a significant impact. Improving conditions for the Black labor force is a key issue for businesses. Federal labor statistics often reveal that Black workers bear the brunt of economic recession. "The reasons for that basically boil down to lack of mentorship and a lot of Black workers being tied up in jobs that don't provide a clear pathway up," said Shelley Stewart III, a partner at McKinsey & Company. Watch the video above to learn more about the most successful neighborhoods for Black families today.