Where you choose to raise your child matters. It may seem like an obvious statement, but you might not know how significant an impact the decision of where a child is raised will have during adulthood, particularly on income.

Harvard economists looked at 20 years of data and determined where kids are raised affects their income levels when they grow up. The research via the New York Times honed in on each county and income levels to determine how much more money you’d make by age 26 if you grew up in a specific place.

For example, if you are in a 'poor family' and living in Western New York is it better to be in Erie, Niagara or Wyoming? According to the research, it is better to live in Wyoming, AND the younger you are when you move to Wyoming the BETTER you will do on average. In fact for every additional YEAR, a 'poor child' spends being raised in Wyoming roughly $170 are added to their annual income at age 26.

Check out the the top 10 counties in the surrounding areas:

  • 1

    Wyoming County

    This is the top county to raise a child in in the area. Apparently the 'income mobility' for children in 'poor families' is better than about 85 percent of counties! That means that if a child grew up here instead of an 'average' place they would make 13 percent MORE at the age of 26!

  • 2

    Allegany County

    The 'income mobility' for Allegany County is apparently better than about 74 percent of counties for children in 'poor families'. So if a kid in a poor family grew up in Allegany instead of an 'average place' they would make 9 percent more at age 26.

  • 3

    Livingston County

    For kids in 'poor families' in Livingston the 'income mobility' is also fair. It is better than about 65 percent of counties with kids earning 6 percent more by 26 if they grew up here verses an 'average place'.

  • 4

    Erie County

    Erie County is considered 'about average' for 'income mobility'. It is better than about 48 percent of other counties, with kids  in a poor family making approximately 3 percent more at age 26 than kids in an average place.

    For average-income kids

  • 5

    Cattaraugus County

    Cattaraugus comes in at number five in Western New York. Similar to Erie County, Cattaraugus is about average for income mobility for kids in poor families. It is better than around 45 percent of other counties. Falling a little behind, Erie County, children who grow up in Cattaraugus are projected to make 2 percent more at age 26 than children who grow up in an 'average place'.

More From 106.5 WYRK