When one thinks of prosperous areas in the U.S., usually the large, populated areas come to mind. After all, where do homes cost the most, so therefore where must the most prosperous people be living?
A new report measures prosperity in slightly different terms. Counties that had lower poverty rates and unemployment rates and fewer high school dropouts and housing problems than the country at large were considered to be prosperous. And the results showed many of those counties are in the Great Plains and Midwest states. The brighter red on the map below, the more prosperous the county.
Map by Andrew Isserman, Edward Feser, Drake Warren, University of Illinois.
Available from LiveScience website.
The data for this study were from 2000, and instead of focusing on income and growth, more traditional measures, the researchers looked at outcomes. What areas keep their kids in school the longest? Have lower unemployment rates? Better health?
The center of the country appears the brightest red. The counties in these areas have less income inequality, better education, and more off-farm jobs than less-prosperous counties. The prosperous counties had an average growth rate of two percent over the previous decade, compared to eleven percent for the less-prosperous counties. Obviously quick growth is not a recipe for prosperity.
I find it refreshing to find someone looking beyond money to determine what makes a prosperous area. There really is so much more to consider. How does your county fare?
To see more, visit LiveScience.
1 comment:
That's pretty cool!
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