Keister and Moody examine the relationship between rural upbringing and adult wealth

Keister and Moody examine the relationship between rural upbringing and adult wealth

In a new paper published in RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, DUPRI scholars Lisa Keister and James Moody, along with Duke Sociology PhD candidate Tom Wolff, examine the role of rural upbringing on adult wealth. Wealth ownership is a critical component of economic well-being, and wealth in early adulthood provides important clues about the trajectories along which individuals move throughout their lives. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), the authors find an association between growing up rural and adult wealth that varies across the components of wealth. They also find that growing up rural has unique implications for young adult wealth ownership that differ from growing up in other geographic regions, particularly in urban areas. The results highlight an important outcome that is conditioned by growing up rural and underscores the importance of context for understanding how families save and accumulate wealth.