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Trends & Performance

Economy Surprisingly Dependent on Non-Labor Income

August 2017

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.

Why the Rural West Matters

April 2017

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.

Comparing Trends and Prosperity in Gunnison County

April 2017

Explore socioeconomic trends in Gunnison County and neighboring Colorado counties.

Rural Communities, School Kids, and Federal Lands in the West

April 2017

Headwaters-staff-Ray-Rasker

While most western rural counties are aging and losing young families, the loss of school kids in rural western counties with protected lands such as National Monuments was, on average, less than half the rate of loss for similar counties without protected lands.

Federal Lands in the West: Liability or Asset?

February 2017

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.

The Changing Role of Manufacturing in the U.S. and Insights for the Rural West

February 2017

Recent trends in manufacturing and what they mean for the people and communities of the American West, with insights for rural areas in particular.

West’s Economy Outperforming Rest of United States

March 2016

Explore the West’s economy, regional performance, and what is driving economic growth.

Know Your Economy: Economic Tools Updated for Every County

December 2015

Headwaters-staff-Chris-Mehl

Understanding the local economy, and how it compares to peers, is a crucial part of smart community and economic development. Several new tools, utilizing the latest data (through 2014), now are available for every county in the nation.

One Click: Socioeconomic Reports for Every County

November 2015

Headwaters-staff-Chris-Mehl

Understanding what drives the local economy is crucial to smart community and economic development. This map provides detailed socioeconomic reports for every county.

Urban Areas Drive Economic Growth in the West

October 2015

Headwaters-staff-Patricia-Gude

Despite being known for its rural landscapes, the West is surprisingly urban.

The West Today: What Sectors Drive the Economy?

October 2015

Headwaters-staff-Chris-Mehl

In the West today, what economic sectors are driving the economy and make up the growing workforce?

Three Wests: Access to Markets Affects Performance

October 2015

There are three distinct types of counties in the West—Metro, Connected, and Isolated—defined by their access to major markets and population centers.

Migration & Population Trends in the West Vary by County Type

December 2014

uhaul trucks

County migration and population trends in the West constantly change. We summarize counties into four types–high-wage services, farm-dependent, oil and natural gas boom, and retirement destinations–to show the relationship between population and economic structure.

Getting the Economics Right: Communities, National Forests, and Local Development Decisions

November 2014

Headwaters-staff-Chris-Mehl

Getting the economics right is important for communities to compete in a modern economy. We’ve created a number of tools to help rural, western communities better understand current trends as well as the role of the nearby National Forest or other public lands.

On Halloween, Many Counties with High Death Rates Still Growing

October 2014

Headwaters-staff-Megan-Lawson

It’s All Hallow’s Eve, so we decided to look at western counties where the dead most recently were living. But a high death rate does not mean a county is faring poorly. Like most things, it’s complicated.

Today’s Economy, Political Rhetoric Too Often Don’t Match

October 2014

Headwaters-staff-Ray-Rasker

Today’s economy is much different than what we hear in the rhetoric from current politicians. We need our leaders to wrestle with current problems rather than old ones.

Three Wests Sortable Data

October 2014

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Review the economic and demographic differences between Metro, Connected and Isolated counties.

Non-Labor Income: Large and Growing in Importance Across the West

March 2014

Non-labor income is one of the largest and fastest growing sources of income in the West; constituting 34 percent of total personal income in 2011 and 60 percent of net growth in real personal income during the last decade.

Long-Term Energy Development Has Negative Impacts on Western Counties

December 2013

This paper demonstrates that when fossil fuel development plays a prominent, long-term role in local western economies there are negative effects on per capita income, crime rates, and educational attainment.

The Upper Peninsula’s Economy and a Changing Climate

February 2013

map of Michigan's Upper Penninsula

This post summarizes the Climate Adaptation Report which provides a description of key economic sectors at greatest risk from extreme weather or long-term climate shifts and is intended to prepare the region’s forests, water resources, and communities for a less certain future.

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