FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It turns out that where you grow up matters. And it can affect where you end up in life.
Researchers found that if a child moves out of a neighborhood with worse prospects and into a more thriving one, they can make a lot more money when they get older.
A new interactive online map was just released this week.
We typed in an address on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers, where you can zoom in to see that on one side of the street, kids growing up there are expected to make $44,000 dollars a year when they are older.
However, across the street, the data shows kids are expected to make $10,000 less. And right down the road, $15,000 less.
The United States Census Bureau and researchers from Harvard and Brown constructed this map. The data is based on the outcomes of most adults in their mid-thirties today.
They traced back where each person grew up and then estimated everyone's earnings.
It gives insight on why moving to a better neighborhood while your kids are young can set them up for more opportunity. Plus, where we can improve certain areas where children are likely to grow up in poverty.
The data shows kids growing up in a stable home have a better chance of being successful. That means their parents can afford their bills even if they make a low income.
