Economy

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.

Low education counties are those where at least 57 percent of residents ages 25 to 64 did not have any post-secondary education in the 2018–22 5-year American Community Survey (ACS). Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas are based on the U.S. Office of Management and Budget 2023 delineation of core based statistical areas.

Manufacturing dependent counties are those where at least 25 percent of the county’s annual average earnings came from manufacturing or at least 17 percent of the annual average number of jobs in the county were in manufacturing over the 3-year average of 2019, 2021, and 2022.

Government dependent counties are those where at least 13 percent of the county’s annual average earnings came from Federal and State Government or at least 8 percent of the annual average number of jobs in the county came from Federal and State Government over the 3-year average of 2019, 2021, and 2022. Federal earnings and jobs include (but are not limited to) those of civilian military, national park, and Federal correctional facility employees. State earnings and jobs include (but are not limited to) those of public State university, State correctional facility, and State legislature employees.

Persistent poverty counties are those where 20% or more of county residents were poor, measured by the 1990 and 2000 Decennial Censuses and in the 2007–11 and 2017–21 5-year American Community Surveys.

Mining dependent counties are those where at least 11 percent of the county’s annual average earnings came from mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction or at least 7 percent of the annual average number of jobs in the county were in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction over the 3-year average of 2019, 2021, and 2022.