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.
Library Access, 2022
This layer displays library visits per person living within the library service area per year. Data are obtained from the 2025 County Health Rankings.
Low Education Counties
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.
Child Mortality Rate by County, 2019-2022
This layer displays the number and rate of deaths among children under age 19 per 100,000 population. Indicator data are from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) Compressed Mortality File (CMF).
Manufacturing Dependent Counties
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.
Kidney Disease Mortality for 2019-23 by County
This layer displays nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (kidney disease) mortality rates from the CDC’s National Vital Statistics System – Mortality database. Data are 5-year aggregates for 2019-23.
Government Dependent Counties
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
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
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
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.