In a recent, in-depth study into upward mobility in the US, it was discovered that where you live has a lot to do with how far up the income ladder you’ll go.

In a recent, in-depth study into upward mobility in the US, it was discovered that where you live has a lot to do with how far up the income ladder you’ll go.

By and large, those who face the most dismal odds of elevating themselves out of poverty are in the southeastern states, primarily Georgia and the Carolinas.

As far as urban areas, trying to make a better life in Atlanta is among the toughest places to do so.

Experts attribute the added challenge in no small part to the city’s separations of rich and poor areas, which is compounded by a lack of reliable public transportation and crushing traffic problems.

The industrial sections of the Midwest, which include Detroit and Chicago, didn’t score very well either.

Conversely, the Great Plains offer some of the country’s best bracket-jumping chances as does the Pacific Northwest and parts of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Overall, areas in the US that showed the most income improvement from one generation to the next were found to have more economically diverse neighborhoods, stronger communities, and better schools.