Study finds that prosperous rural counties aren't always the ones that are growing

It's common to connect growth with prosperity in rural counties, but a study suggests that prosperity is about more than growth. Andrew Isserman, an economist at the University of Illinois, thought income and population rates weren't the best measures for successful counties, so he found others ways to chart prosperity, reports the Daily Yonder.

"Prosperous counties, according to Isserman, graduate their kids from high school," writes Bill Bishop. "People work in prosperous counties, and unemployment rates are low. There’s less poverty in prosperous counties, and the housing people live in is both affordable and in good repair." Isserman used four measures for his test of prosperity: "low drop-out rates; lots of jobs; low poverty rates; good and affordable housing," Bishop explains. The map above shows how individual counties scored on the scale.

While access to highways or airports mattered little for prosperous counties, jobs and education were important. In the 400 non-metropolitan counties that scored better on the scale than the nation as a whole, there were more private-sector jobs, more family farms and higher graduation rates. The Great Plains had the most prosperous counties. Click here to read more from the Yonder) To read Isserman's full report, go here.