Modeling and Explaining County-level Prosperity in the U.S

Lila K. Khatiwada

Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, 2014, vol. 44, issue 2

Abstract: This paper explores the impact of space on prosperity. In order to do this, it develops a spatial model for locating prosperous counties and for identifying factors associated with prosperity. Using principal component analysis, a county-level prosperity index is created that comprises four measures: high school dropouts, housing conditions, unemployment, and poverty rates. Five categories of independent variables—demographic, economic, geographic, agricultural, and human and social capital—are used in the analysis. The spatial autocorrela-tion method has been used to determine the spatial pattern of prosperous counties, and the spatial econometric method has been used to develop a model that explains prosperity. The result shows that more prosperous counties have lower minority populations, more economic opportunities, and higher social and human capital. A policy reformulation is important in addressing the issues of less prosperous counties by creating jobs and enhancing social and human capital at regional levels.

Keywords: Community/Rural/Urban Development; Consumer/Household Economics; Labor and Human Capital (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:jrapmc:243970

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.243970

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