Typology

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Low employment counties are those where less than 65% of county residents age 25-64 were not employed, determined by the American Community Survey 5 Year average data for 2008-12.

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 age 60 and older grew by 15% or more between the 2000 and 2010 censuses due to net migration.

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.