Economic Mobility
Equity Mini Grant Window Now Open! Apply by May 8, 2026!
Apply for an Equity Mini GrantJoin us for the 2026 Fair Housing and Economic Mobility Conference on April 29th!
Register for the ConferenceDefining Economic Mobility
Economic mobility addresses systems to improve unfair conditions that influence whether individuals, families, and communities can prosper over time and across generations. It means access to opportunities and resources needed for basic needs, financial security, and a dignified, high quality of life–regardless of race, place, gender, or ability.
.pdf.jpg?crop=yes&w=821&h=821&itok=oszko6W2)
The Levers of Economic Mobility Framework
In every community, there are conditions–some visible, others deeply embedded–that shape how people live, work, and move through the world. The Economic Mobility framework is our effort to better understand those conditions across Austin’s neighborhoods and take deliberate steps to address them. This builds on ongoing efforts to address disparities by measuring impact and bringing a human lens to data.
Mapping Conditions. Mobilizing Change.
The Austin Levers of Economic Mobility Index (LEMI) is a people-focused, place-based tool designed to help the City of Austin understand and respond to the conditions that shape residents’ ability to thrive. Use this StoryMap to explore the methodology and discover how place influences economic mobility and quality of life across our communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Economic mobility addresses systems to improve unfair conditions that influence whether individuals, families, and communities can prosper over time and across generations. It means access to opportunities and resources needed for basic needs, financial security, and a dignified, high quality of life — regardless of race, place, gender, or ability.
The Austin Levers of Economic Mobility Index (LEMI) is a neighborhood-level data tool that measures structural conditions that influence economic mobility in Austin. It combines 18 levers across health, livelihood, and access-related domains to provide a consistent, census tract-level view of conditions across the city.
The LEMI measures structural conditions, not individual outcomes.
It looks at whether neighborhoods have the kinds of infrastructure and resources that support economic mobility, recognizing that these conditions come from long‑term policies and public investment.
The index includes levers related to:
- Health and Wellbeing
- Income and Employment
- Housing Stability and Cost Burdens
- Education, Digital Access, and Environmental Conditions
It does not measure individual income growth. It is not a poverty index. It is not a funding formula. It does not assign blame to communities or label neighborhoods.
The LEMI provides relative comparisons of structural conditions within the study area, recognizing that historical policies and investment decisions have contributed to current conditions.
Research shows that the neighborhood in which a child grows up has measurable long-term effects on income, health, and life expectancy. Place-based conditions, such as access to care, internet, housing stability, and safe environments, influence opportunity across generations.
The Index was created using best-practice methods from the OECD Handbook on Constructing Composite Indicators. Data from the 2020 Census were analyzed at the neighborhood (Census tract) level. Each lever was normalized using percentile rankings, and the three themes of the index are weighted equally. Final scores range from 1 to 100 for ease of understanding, and comparability. Missing data were addressed using validated statistical methods.
A full technical report provides the methodology in detail.
LEMI is a decision-support tool. It can help:
- Identify geographic patterns of structural barriers
- Inform policy, capital investment decisions and support intentional outreach and programming
- Align cross-department strategies
- Support grant applications and policy analysis
It is most effective when used alongside community engagement, operational dashboards, and local expertise.
The LEMI is available through an interactive StoryMap that supports users to explore tract-level scores, view theme breakdowns, and access additional geographic overlays.