According to an article published by the New York Times it matters where you grow up in terms of upward income mobility in the United States.

The chance that a child raised in the bottom fifth (bottom 20%) will rise to the top fifth (top 20%) varies significantly within each state and across states as well. The odds are particularly bleak for the Southeast. In cities like Charlotte, Atlanta, Raleigh, to name a few, the chances of upward mobility are few, 4% or less. By contrast, the chances of upward mobility are the best in areas of the Midwest and West, 20% or higher. The odds of climbing the income ladder are good in cities like Boston, New York, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, and Seattle.

Source: The New York Times: In Climbing Income Ladder, Location Matters