Western counties with protected public lands could have economic edge over other rural areas

Rural counties in the western U.S. with a national park, wildlife refuge or other protected public land may have an economic edge over other rural counties, the Daily Yonder reports. A study by Headwaters Economics found "on average, for every 10,000 acres of public land that were located in non-metro counties in the West, the county’s per capita income was $436 higher." (Headwaters Economics map)

A possible reason for the edge is that "counties with natural amenities like national monuments and wild and scenic rivers are more likely to attract talented workers, who have above-average earning power," the Yonder reports. "The study looked at the West’s 286 non-metro counties. Researchers measured the acreage of protected public lands and looked at 10 economic indicators such as per capita income, average earnings per job, migration, college education levels and others." (Read more)