Understanding Rural America

Economic Research Service
United States Department of Agriculture
Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 710
Washington, DC
February 1995

Preface

It has been said that today's decisions determine tomorrow's destiny. Indeed, rural residents and policymakers face many decisions that will affect, if not determine, rural America's destiny. "What are the economic conditions—needs, opportunities, and possibilities—in different rural areas?" "What factors underlie those conditions?" And, ultimately: “How can rural areas and people achieve the goals they aspire to?" It follows then, that the answers to these and other critical questions should be based on the most accurate, up-to-date information available. Good decisions require good input.

This report draws upon the work of the Rural Economy Division of the Economic Research Service to provide that information. It pulls together the findings of several researchers to describe general rural conditions and trends, as well as details about the many differences found in rural America. The result, we hope, is a source of information that will assist rural decision- makers as they seek to improve the well-being of rural people and places.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Rural America
• Rural Change
  • Rural Employment
  • Rural Population
  • Rural Well-Being
• Rural Diversity
• County Types
  • Farming Counties
  • Manufacturing Counties
  • Services Counties
  • Retirement-Destination Counties
  • Federal Lands Counties
  • Persistent Poverty Counties
• Conclusions
• Appendix Table 1 -- Selected population, income, and employment characteristics for counties, by county type
• For Additional Reading

Notes

1. The maps and charts in this report are the products of analyses conducted by the Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Data used in the analyses were provided by the Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2. Charts containing the note "1979=100" were indexed to allow for comparison of growth rates. In those charts, the 1979 value of all charted variables was made to equal 100. Thus, values over 100 in subsequent years indicate growth relative to 1979, while values below 100 indicate decline.
3. Notes referred to in the text are found by hyperlinks within the text.

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