— Western counties once dependent on timber today perform similarly to like-sized counties. Three case studies outline economic lessons from counties that weathered the timber transition.
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Rural West Insights
This series discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the rural West, focusing on its people and landscapes.
Minority Populations Driving County Growth in the Rural West
— Minority populations are growing in nearly all rural western counties, helping booming communities expand and slowing the decline in counties that otherwise would have lost people.
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Economy Surprisingly Dependent on Non-Labor Income
— Non-labor income sources such as investments, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid often are the largest and fastest growing sources of personal income for many counties. Rural counties especially are surprisingly dependent on non-labor income.
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Why the Rural West Matters
— The rural West matters for at least three important reasons: the vitality of the region’s landscape; its impact on local, state, and national politics; and the future of the area’s people and communities.
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Federal Lands in the West: Liability or Asset?
— Update: Rural counties in the West with more federal lands performed better on average than their peers with less federal lands in four key economic measures.
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The Changing Role of Manufacturing in the U.S. and Insights for the Rural West
— Recent trends in manufacturing and what they mean for the people and communities of the American West, with insights for rural areas in particular.
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