County

Persistent poverty counties are those where 20% or more of county residents were poor, measured by the 1980, 1990, and 2000 censuses, and the 2007-11 American Community Survey.

Mining dependent counties are those where 13% or more of the county’s average annual labor and proprietors’ earning were derived from mining, or 8% or more of jobs were in mining, as measured by 2010-12 Bureau of Economic Analysis, Local Area Personal Income and Employment data.

Population loss counties are those where the number of county residents declined between the 1990 and 2000 censuses and also between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.

Farming dependent counties are those where 25% or more of the county’s average annual labor and proprietors’ earning were derived from farming, or 16% or more of jobs were in farming, as measured by 2010-12 Bureau of Economic Analysis, Local Area Personal Income and Employment data.

Retirement destination counties are those where the number of residents age 60 and older grew by 15% or more between the 2000 and 2010 censuses due to net migration.

Persistent child poverty counties are those where 20% or more of county related children under 18 were poor, measured in the 1980, 1990, 2000 censuses, and the 2007-11 American Community Survey.

Housing stress counties are those where at least 29 percent of owner- and renter-occupied housing units had at least one of the following conditions in the 2018–22 5-year ACS: 1) lacking complete plumbing facilities, 2) lacking complete kitchen facilities, 3) with 1.01 or more occupants per room, 4) selected monthly owner costs as a percentage of household income greater than 30 percent, or 5) gross rent as a percentage of household income greater than 30 percent.

Low employment counties are those where less than 63 percent of residents ages 25 to 54 were employed in the 2018–22 5-year ACS.Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas are based on the U.S. Office of Management and Budget 2023 delineation of core based statistical areas.

Population loss counties are those where the number of county residents declined between the 1990 and 2000 censuses and also between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.

Recreation dependent counties are determined by a weighted z-score of the factors listed was at least two-thirds of a standard deviation above the nonmetro mean (greater than or equal to 0.67) for: 1. Jobs in arts, entertainment, and recreation, accommodation and food services, and real estate and rental and leasing over the 3-year average of 2019, 2021, and 2022; 2. Earnings in in arts, entertainment, and recreation, accommodation and food services, and real estate and rental and leasing over the three-year average of 2019, 2021, and 2022; and 3. the percentage of vacant housing units for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use reported in the 2020 Decennial Census.