This paper reviews evidence concerning intracity trends in occupational status change among adult males from four studies of three cities—Boston, Philadelphia, and Poughkeepsie, New York—for the mid-nineteenth century. The quality of the data and problems of cross-study comparability are discussed. Secondary analyses of the data indicate that rates of grossly defined vertical mobility and the transmission of status through adults' careers were stable among the nonmigrant male populations of the three cities for the periods of time in question. Data available for Boston indicate that the level of son's career beginnings had a substantial impact on his subsequent attainments and that the effect of father's occupation was largely interpreted by son's career-entry level.