The resulting map shows huge swaths of deeply disadvantaged locations across the nation’s 3,000 counties, places that are mostly located outside of the largest U.S. cities yet which share some traits: A history of resource extraction, unequal educational opportunities, a breakdown of social bonds, violence and local corruption.
That’s a good point, I wonder if the authors address it. Richard Florida, the geographer, argues that geographic mobility is a strong prediction of success. Places full of people who have never moved are often worse off.