Although rural America is home to 46 million people, these communities are far from the same, with varying degrees of economic mobility and standards of living. In their research exploring US rural areas, Senior Partner Shelley Stewart III and coauthors calculated the outcomes for residents in six rural archetypes. Agricultural powerhouses have the highest standard of living, financial stability, economic mobility, job opportunities, and skill development among rural archetypes. Migration magnets rank highest in long, healthy lives and stable, secure homes, while manufacturing workshops rank highest in connectivity and stable community.
Image description:
A bubble heat map chart illustrates the ranking of rural archetypes by their outcomes for residents, with agricultural powerhouses at the top for most outcomes. The chart is divided into six columns, representing different archetypes: agricultural powerhouses, middle America, migration magnets, manufacturing workshops, resource-rich regions, and remote regions. The rows represent various outcomes, including overall rank; standard of living; financial stability; economic mobility; job opportunities; long, healthy lives; developing skills; stable, secure homes; connectivity; and stable community. Agricultural powerhouses rank first in overall rank, standard of living, financial stability, economic mobility, job opportunities, and developing skills, while migration magnets rank first in long, healthy lives and stable, secure homes. Manufacturing workshops rank first in connectivity and stable community. The chart uses a color-coded system, with dark blue indicating the highest rank and light blue indicating lower ranks.
Note: This image description was completed with the assistance of Writer, a gen AI tool.
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To read the report, see “Small towns, massive opportunity: Unlocking rural America’s potential,” August 4, 2025.