An opportunity economy prioritizes equality of opportunity rather than equality of outcomes. In such an economy, we all have the chance to achieve our potential, even if some people ultimately end up earning more than others. Right now, opportunity is not equally distributed in America: People’s chances of achieving success vary widely depending upon their parents’ income, racial background and ZIP code.

Economic mobility varies substantially even within cities. When children move to better neighborhoods, especially earlier in childhood, their outcomes improve significantly, even if their own parents’ financial status remains unchanged. Likewise, when conditions in a community improve — for example, if the fraction of parents working in an area increases — children do better, even if nothing changes in their own families.

The strongest predictor of differences in economic mobility across neighborhoods is the degree to which low and high-income people are connected to one another. The strongest predictor of differences in economic mobility across neighborhoods is the degree to which low and high-income people are connected to one another.