Resource Library

Want to learn more about upward mobility? Explore Urban research, insights from
communities and organizations across the country using the Upward Mobility Framework, and
tools and guides for those interested in advancing upward mobility and racial equity in
communities.
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The Toolkit for Increasing Upward Mobility in Your Community offers practical guidance for local leaders who are working to advance mobility from poverty so that all residents can thrive. 
A father and son drawing together.
The average wage isn’t enough to cover basic needs for a single parent and two children in 99 percent of counties.
People shopping at a neighborhood store while a cashier assists a customer at the checkout counter.
Four tools offer a more complete picture of income, wealth, and financial security.
Image of a young Black father smiling and walking his kids down the street.
For communities and leaders across the US, increasing upward mobility from poverty is a defining challenge of our times. Data, including on trends, are key to understanding what it will take to ensure all people can thrive.
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New, decades-long analysis proves that public policies can improve children’s success in life by enabling them to grow up in resource-rich neighborhoods.
MALN members meet at the Urban Institute during the Learning Exchange on increasing upward mobility.
Evidence has shown that people experiencing poverty face a complex web of structural and systemic barriers that often impedes and undermines their best efforts. Addressing these barriers requires that stakeholders come together to create a comprehensive approach to advance upward mobility in their
MALN members meet at the Urban Institute during the Learning Exchange on increasing upward mobility.
Data can help local leaders understand the true impact of housing affordability, access to child care, opportunities for higher education, and other important drivers of upward mobility on different communities.
An illustration depicting a scene with various community members and buildings.
To support upward mobility from poverty, policymakers must specifically consider the unique challenges people with disabilities face when designing and implementing policies.
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People also need access to living wage jobs to be able to reach long-term upward mobility, or a better standard of living than the previous generation experienced
Photo credit: Jonathan Ardila, Getty Images
Community foundations are critical actors in local efforts to advance upward mobility and play a variety of roles in these initiatives.
An image of a public bus.
Transportation is closely linked to upward mobility, but it can be expensive and hard to access. Local leaders can look to Alexandria, Virginia, and the Upward Mobility Data Dashboard for strategies to address transportation barriers in their communities.
Illustration by Alysheia ShawDansby
The Upward Mobility Initiative adopted six best practices to ensure the accurate construction of more than two dozen mobility metrics across 10 years for more than 3,500 counties and cities.