
Fannin County, Georgia is one of the 289 “prosperous” counties, as defined by University of Illinois economist Andrew Isserman. This photo was taken in the town of Blue Ridge.
Photo: terrapin dawg
There are 289 rural counties that have better housing, a more educated population, less poverty and more jobs than the national average. Those counties are listed below.
They can be found in Georgia and Wisconsin, Kentucky and North Dakota. These prosperous places aren�t vacation havens or golf course retirement compounds. They are everyday places, most of them, where people live, work and learn. They are examples of the kind of communities every rural county can become.
The list comes from Andrew Isserman, an economist at the University of Illinois. Isserman recently proposed that instead of looking for success in growing populations and higher incomes, rural communities should seek to become prosperous. They should be places with affordable and well-maintained housing; a well-educated population; plenty of work; and few poor families. (See the Yonder for a full report on Isserman�s study .)
Isserman applied his test to every county in the United States. Today, we look at the most rural of Isserman�s prosperous counties.
These are counties that have either 90 percent of their populations living in rural areas or have no town with a population of more than 10,000 people. These counties aren�t close to urban areas and they have a low population density. There are 1,371 strictly rural counties in these terms and 289 are prosperous, according to Isserman.
The Illinois economist finds a number of traits common to these counties. They aren�t on four-lane highways, particularly. They do have more family farms. Check out the Yonder story for more or go straight to Isserman�s paper .
Here are the counties. They are listed by state in alphabetical order and the list includes their 2000 population.
Prosperous Counties | Population 2000 |
Chaffee County, Colorado | 16,242 |
Cheyenne County, Colorado | 2,231 |
Delta County, Colorado | 27,834 |
Grand County, Colorado | 12,442 |
Kiowa County, Colorado | 1,622 |
Kit Carson County, Colorado | 8,011 |
Mineral County, Colorado | 831 |
Phillips County, Colorado | 4,480 |
Routt County, Colorado | 19,690 |
Sedgwick County, Colorado | 2,747 |
Washington County, Colorado | 4,926 |
Fannin County, Georgia | 19,798 |
Towns County, Georgia | 9,319 |
Camas County, Idaho | 991 |
Caribou County, Idaho | 7,304 |
Oneida County, Idaho | 4,125 |
Clark County, Illinois | 17,008 |
Clay County, Illinois | 14,560 |
Crawford County, Illinois | 20,452 |
De Witt County, Illinois | 16,798 |
Edwards County, Illinois | 6,971 |
Hancock County, Illinois | 20,121 |
Jasper County, Illinois | 10,117 |
Jo Daviess County, Illinois | 22,289 |
Schuyler County, Illinois | 7,189 |
Shelby County, Illinois | 22,893 |
Washington County, Illinois | 15,148 |
Fountain County, Indiana | 17,954 |
Fulton County, Indiana | 20,511 |
Jay County, Indiana | 21,806 |
Orange County, Indiana | 19,306 |
Parke County, Indiana | 17,241 |
Pulaski County, Indiana | 13,755 |
Randolph County, Indiana | 27,401 |
Ripley County, Indiana | 26,523 |
Spencer County, Indiana | 20,391 |
Warren County, Indiana | 8,419 |
White County, Indiana | 25,267 |
Adair County, Iowa | 8,243 |
Adams County, Iowa | 4,482 |
Allamakee County, Iowa | 14,675 |
Audubon County, Iowa | 6,830 |
Butler County, Iowa | 15,305 |
Calhoun County, Iowa | 11,115 |
Carroll County, Iowa | 21,421 |
Cass County, Iowa | 14,684 |
Cedar County, Iowa | 18,187 |
Cherokee County, Iowa | 13,035 |
Clayton County, Iowa | 18,678 |
Delaware County, Iowa | 18,404 |
Emmet County, Iowa | 11,027 |
Fayette County, Iowa | 22,008 |
Floyd County, Iowa | 16,900 |
Franklin County, Iowa | 10,704 |
Fremont County, Iowa | 8,010 |
Greene County, Iowa | 10,366 |
Hamilton County, Iowa | 16,438 |
Hancock County, Iowa | 12,100 |
Hardin County, Iowa | 18,812 |
Henry County, Iowa | 20,336 |
Humboldt County, Iowa | 10,381 |
Ida County, Iowa | 7,837 |
Iowa County, Iowa | 15,671 |
Jackson County, Iowa | 20,296 |
Jefferson County, Iowa | 16,181 |
Keokuk County, Iowa | 11,400 |
Kossuth County, Iowa | 17,163 |
Lyon County, Iowa | 11,763 |
Mitchell County, Iowa | 10,874 |
Monona County, Iowa | 10,020 |
Monroe County, Iowa | 8,016 |
O’Brien County, Iowa | 15,102 |
Osceola County, Iowa | 7,003 |
Palo Alto County, Iowa | 10,147 |
Plymouth County, Iowa | 24,849 |
Pocahontas County, Iowa | 8,662 |
Poweshiek County, Iowa | 18,815 |
Sac County, Iowa | 11,529 |
Shelby County, Iowa | 13,173 |
Sioux County, Iowa | 31,589 |
Tama County, Iowa | 18,103 |
Taylor County, Iowa | 6,958 |
Union County, Iowa | 12,309 |
Winnebago County, Iowa | 11,723 |
Winneshiek County, Iowa | 21,310 |
Wright County, Iowa | 14,334 |
Barber County, Kansas | 5,307 |
Chautauqua County, Kansas | 4,359 |
Cheyenne County, Kansas | 3,165 |
Clay County, Kansas | 8,822 |
Cloud County, Kansas | 10,268 |
Coffey County, Kansas | 8,865 |
Comanche County, Kansas | 1,967 |
Decatur County, Kansas | 3,472 |
Dickinson County, Kansas | 19,344 |
Edwards County, Kansas | 3,449 |
Ellsworth County, Kansas | 6,525 |
Gove County, Kansas | 3,068 |
Graham County, Kansas | 2,946 |
Harper County, Kansas | 6,536 |
Haskell County, Kansas | 4,307 |
Hodgeman County, Kansas | 2,085 |
Jewell County, Kansas | 3,791 |
Kingman County, Kansas | 8,673 |
Kiowa County, Kansas | 3,278 |
Lane County, Kansas | 2,155 |
Lincoln County, Kansas | 3,578 |
Logan County, Kansas | 3,046 |
Marion County, Kansas | 13,361 |
Marshall County, Kansas | 10,965 |
Meade County, Kansas | 4,631 |
Mitchell County, Kansas | 6,932 |
Morris County, Kansas | 6,104 |
Morton County, Kansas | 3,496 |
Nemaha County, Kansas | 10,717 |
Ness County, Kansas | 3,454 |
Norton County, Kansas | 5,953 |
Osborne County, Kansas | 4,452 |
Phillips County, Kansas | 6,001 |
Pratt County, Kansas | 9,647 |
Republic County, Kansas | 5,835 |
Rooks County, Kansas | 5,685 |
Rush County, Kansas | 3,551 |
Russell County, Kansas | 7,370 |
Smith County, Kansas | 4,536 |
Stafford County, Kansas | 4,789 |
Stevens County, Kansas | 5,463 |
Trego County, Kansas | 3,319 |
Washington County, Kansas | 6,483 |
Harrison County, Kentucky | 17,983 |
Marshall County, Kentucky | 30,125 |
Simpson County, Kentucky | 16,405 |
Hancock County, Maine | 51,791 |
Lincoln County, Maine | 33,616 |
Oxford County, Maine | 54,755 |
Otsego County, Michigan | 23,301 |
Big Stone County, Minnesota | 5,820 |
Chippewa County, Minnesota | 13,088 |
Cottonwood County, Minnesota | 12,167 |
Faribault County, Minnesota | 16,181 |
Grant County, Minnesota | 6,289 |
Jackson County, Minnesota | 11,268 |
Kittson County, Minnesota | 5,285 |
Koochiching County, Minnesota | 14,355 |
Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota | 8,067 |
Lake County, Minnesota | 11,058 |
Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota | 4,522 |
Le Sueur County, Minnesota | 25,426 |
Lincoln County, Minnesota | 6,429 |
Meeker County, Minnesota | 22,644 |
Mille Lacs County, Minnesota | 22,330 |
Morrison County, Minnesota | 31,712 |
Murray County, Minnesota | 9,165 |
Pipestone County, Minnesota | 9,895 |
Pope County, Minnesota | 11,236 |
Redwood County, Minnesota | 16,815 |
Renville County, Minnesota | 17,154 |
Rock County, Minnesota | 9,721 |
Roseau County, Minnesota | 16,338 |
Sibley County, Minnesota | 15,356 |
Swift County, Minnesota | 11,956 |
Traverse County, Minnesota | 4,134 |
Waseca County, Minnesota | 19,526 |
Watonwan County, Minnesota | 11,876 |
Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota | 11,080 |
Chariton County, Missouri | 8,438 |
Gasconade County, Missouri | 15,342 |
Gentry County, Missouri | 6,861 |
Monroe County, Missouri | 9,311 |
Perry County, Missouri | 18,132 |
Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri | 17,842 |
Sweet Grass County, Montana | 3,609 |
Boone County, Nebraska | 6,259 |
Box Butte County, Nebraska | 12,158 |
Brown County, Nebraska | 3,525 |
Burt County, Nebraska | 7,791 |
Butler County, Nebraska | 8,767 |
Cedar County, Nebraska | 9,615 |
Cherry County, Nebraska | 6,148 |
Cheyenne County, Nebraska | 9,830 |
Cuming County, Nebraska | 10,203 |
Deuel County, Nebraska | 2,098 |
Fillmore County, Nebraska | 6,634 |
Frontier County, Nebraska | 3,099 |
Furnas County, Nebraska | 5,324 |
Grant County, Nebraska | 747 |
Hamilton County, Nebraska | 9,403 |
Harlan County, Nebraska | 3,786 |
Hooker County, Nebraska | 783 |
Jefferson County, Nebraska | 8,333 |
Johnson County, Nebraska | 4,488 |
Keith County, Nebraska | 8,875 |
Nuckolls County, Nebraska | 5,057 |
Otoe County, Nebraska | 15,396 |
Pawnee County, Nebraska | 3,087 |
Phelps County, Nebraska | 9,747 |
Polk County, Nebraska | 5,639 |
Red Willow County, Nebraska | 11,448 |
Richardson County, Nebraska | 9,531 |
Saline County, Nebraska | 13,843 |
Thayer County, Nebraska | 6,055 |
York County, Nebraska | 14,598 |
Carroll County, New Hampshire | 43,666 |
Adams County, North Dakota | 2,593 |
Barnes County, North Dakota | 11,775 |
Bottineau County, North Dakota | 7,149 |
Bowman County, North Dakota | 3,242 |
Cavalier County, North Dakota | 4,831 |
Eddy County, North Dakota | 2,757 |
Foster County, North Dakota | 3,759 |
Griggs County, North Dakota | 2,754 |
Mercer County, North Dakota | 8,644 |
Nelson County, North Dakota | 3,715 |
Pembina County, North Dakota | 8,585 |
Ransom County, North Dakota | 5,890 |
Sargent County, North Dakota | 4,366 |
Steele County, North Dakota | 2,258 |
Towner County, North Dakota | 2,876 |
Traill County, North Dakota | 8,477 |
Paulding County, Ohio | 20,293 |
Putnam County, Ohio | 34,726 |
Wyandot County, Ohio | 22,908 |
Beaver County, Oklahoma | 5,857 |
Harper County, Oklahoma | 3,562 |
Kingfisher County, Oklahoma | 13,926 |
Major County, Oklahoma | 7,545 |
Tillamook County, Oregon | 24,262 |
Bedford County, Pennsylvania | 49,984 |
Fulton County, Pennsylvania | 14,261 |
Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania | 42,238 |
Wayne County, Pennsylvania | 47,722 |
Custer County, South Dakota | 7,275 |
Deuel County, South Dakota | 4,498 |
Grant County, South Dakota | 7,847 |
Hand County, South Dakota | 3,741 |
Hyde County, South Dakota | 1,671 |
Kingsbury County, South Dakota | 5,815 |
Lake County, South Dakota | 11,276 |
Miner County, South Dakota | 2,884 |
Moody County, South Dakota | 6,595 |
Sully County, South Dakota | 1,556 |
Giles County, Tennessee | 29,447 |
Humphreys County, Tennessee | 17,929 |
Fayette County, Texas | 21,804 |
Gillespie County, Texas | 20,814 |
Hartley County, Texas | 5,537 |
Kent County, Texas | 859 |
Loving County, Texas | 67 |
Reagan County, Texas | 3,326 |
Beaver County, Utah | 6,005 |
Kane County, Utah | 6,046 |
Rich County, Utah | 1,961 |
Addison County, Vermont | 35,974 |
Windham County, Vermont | 44,216 |
Alleghany County, Virginia | 12,926 |
Bath County, Virginia | 5,048 |
Bland County, Virginia | 6,871 |
Essex County, Virginia | 9,989 |
King George County, Virginia | 16,803 |
Madison County, Virginia | 12,520 |
Northumberland County, Virginia | 12,259 |
Rappahannock County, Virginia | 6,983 |
Rockbridge County, Virginia | 20,808 |
Shenandoah County, Virginia | 35,075 |
Wythe County, Virginia | 27,599 |
Barron County, Wisconsin | 44,963 |
Buffalo County, Wisconsin | 13,804 |
Crawford County, Wisconsin | 17,243 |
Door County, Wisconsin | 27,961 |
Green Lake County, Wisconsin | 19,105 |
Lafayette County, Wisconsin | 16,137 |
Marquette County, Wisconsin | 15,832 |
Monroe County, Wisconsin | 40,899 |
Pepin County, Wisconsin | 7,213 |
Polk County, Wisconsin | 41,319 |
Price County, Wisconsin | 15,822 |
Richland County, Wisconsin | 17,924 |
Shawano County, Wisconsin | 40,664 |
Taylor County, Wisconsin | 19,680 |
Trempealeau County, Wisconsin | 27,010 |
Waupaca County, Wisconsin | 51,731 |
Converse County, Wyoming | 12,052 |
Crook County, Wyoming | 5,887 |
Hot Springs County, Wyoming | 4,882 |
Lincoln County, Wyoming | 14,573 |
Sublette County, Wyoming | 5,920 |
Weston County, Wyoming | 6,644 |