Latest research

Reinvesting in rural America

Reversing the legacy of rural disinvestment—and deliberately designing solutions for rural America—is a down payment on our shared future.

FieldNotes:

A look into the inner-workings of Headwaters Economics.

Are urban conflagrations wildfire? Ryan and Doug are back to discuss this issue in episode two of the Burning Questions podcast.

2 weeks ago
Attendees of the 2025 Regional Tribal Emergency Management Summit

Attending the Regional Tribal Emergency Management Summit

Patty, Ryan and Brent are back from the Regional Tribal Emergency Management Summit held in Rapid City, SD. The event was twice as large as last year, with 14 tribes represented, emergency managers, and members of tribal councils gathered to work on solutions for flooding, wildfire, weatherizing homes, and more.

2 weeks ago

Flood mitigation in Glendive, MT

45 people turned out earlier this month in Glendive, MT (a FloodWise community) to get an update on flood mitigation progress. Local officials and the Army Corp of Engineers fielded lots of thoughtful questions for a project that most think is long overdue. The raised and extended levee will decrease flood risk for 200+ homes, and improve community well-being with a proposed 2.5 mile trail.

3 weeks ago

Welcome to Field Notes

Welcome to Field Notes, a mini-blog about how the work at Headwaters Economics comes together. Keep an eye on this feed to learn what trends we are watching, insights on our latest projects, and what the day-to-day is like in the office. More to come!

2 months ago

NEW PODCAST! Ryan Handy and Doug Green discuss wildfire risk maps in the first episode of Burning Questions, a Headwaters Economics podcast about wildfire and the built environment.

2 months ago

Popular posts

Economic Impact of National Parks

Millions of national park visitors generate economic opportunities for gateway communities, spending money that creates jobs and income. See the trends for every national park service unit.

Public land ownership in the United States

Public lands influence the economy, demographics, and fiscal policies of communities. Explore maps and county-level data for the 828 million acres of federal, state, and municipal land in the U.S.

A rural capacity map

A new map helps identify communities where investments in staffing and expertise are needed to support infrastructure and climate resilience projects.

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About Headwaters Economics

Headwaters Economics is an independent, nonprofit research group that works to improve community development and land management decisions.

Our Data Tools

Headwaters Economics maintains free, easy-to-use tools to help you better understand socioeconomic data and trends. Find data from dozens of sources for thousands of places in the United States.

Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire

Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) works with communities to reduce wildfire risk through improved land use planning. The program is a program of Headwaters Economics, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service.