Typology

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.

Retirement destination counties are those where the number of residents ages 55 to 74 increased by at least 15 percent from 2010 to 2020 because of migration. Based on data from the Applied Population Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Non-specialized counties are those that did not have a high concentration of earnings or jobs in any one of farming, mining, manufacturing, or Federal and State Government and did not have a high concentration of economic activity (as measured using a weighted index) in recreation. Metropolitan and non metropolitan areas are based on the U.S. Office of Management and Budget 2023 delineation of core based statistical areas.

Farming dependent counties are those where at least 20 percent of the county’s annual average labor and proprietors’ earnings came from farming or at least 17 percent of the annual average number of jobs in the county were derived from farming over the 3-year average of 2019, 2021, and 2022.

Non-specialized counties are those that did not have a high concentration of earnings or jobs in any one of farming, mining, manufacturing, or Federal and State Government and did not have a high concentration of economic activity (as measured using a weighted index) in recreation. Metropolitan and non metropolitan areas are based on the U.S. Office of Management and Budget 2023 delineation of core based statistical areas.

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.

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.

Retirement destination counties are those where the number of residents ages 55 to 74 increased by at least 15 percent from 2010 to 2020 because of migration. Based on data from the Applied Population Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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.