Variable Definitions, Terms and References

Variable Name Variable Description and Values References
Key Identification Information:
County Name of the County  
State Name of the State  
FIPS Code Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 6-4 provides the names and codes that represent the counties and other entities treated as equivalent legal and/or statistical subdivisions of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the possessions of the United States. National Institute of Standards and Technology
Amenity Characteristics:
Nat'l Forest CategoryGrouped percentage of county land located in national forests, 2001.Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago

National Forest Acreage Data:
Land Areas of the National Forest System, U.S.D.A. Forest Service
Recreational CountyNonmetropolitan counties with high expenditures and labor force participation in recreational industries, large percentage of seasonal housing, high per capita hotel expenditures and contextual evidence of recreational concentrations. K.M. Johnson and C.L. Beale. 2002. "Nonmetro Recreational Counties: Identification and Implications", Rural America, 17(4): 12-19.
Retirement County Counties where number of residents 60 and older grew by 15 percent or more between 1990 and 2000 due to inmigration. 2004 County Typology Codes, Economic Research Service.
Amenity Level A six category summary variable of David McGranahan's more detailed amenity scale. Based on measures of environmental quality (temperate climate, days of sunlight, moderate humidity, topography and water). McGranahan, David. 1999. Natural Amenities Drive Rural Population Change, U.S.D.A.: Economic Research Service Publication, AER781.
% Seasonal Housing Percentage of 2000 housing units that are for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. 2000 Census of Housing and Population, Technical Documentation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.
% Water Water Area - Water area as a proportion of total county area.

Note: Coastal waters extend 3 miles offshore and all of the Great Lakes within the U.S. are assigned to a county. 		McGranahan, David. 1999. Natural Amenities Drive Rural Population Change, U.S.D.A.: Economic Research Service Publication, AER781.
Mean Jan. Temperature Mean January temperature McGranahan, David. 1999. Natural Amenities Drive Rural Population Change, U.S.D.A.: Economic Research Service Publication, AER781.
Mean July Temperature Mean July temperature McGranahan, David. 1999. Natural Amenities Drive Rural Population Change, U.S.D.A.: Economic Research Service Publication, AER781.
Topography Topography - Five basic landforms and 21 categories of land area are delineated using the National Atlas of the United States, 1970. McGranahan, David. 1999. Natural Amenities Drive Rural Population Change, U.S.D.A.: Economic Research Service Publication, AER781.
Metro Status Metropolitan Status

Metro Counties
  • Large metro area of 1+ million residents.
  • Small metro area of less than 1 million residents.
Nonmetro counties:
  • Micropolitan adjacent to large metro.
  • Adjacent to large metro.
  • Micropolitan adjacent to small metro.
  • Adjacent to small metro with town.
  • Adjacent to small metro no town.
  • Micropolitan not adjacent to a metro area.
  • Adjacent to micro with town.
  • Adjacent to micro with no town.
  • Not adjacent to metro or micro with town.
  • Not adjacent to metro or micro with no town.
 Urban Influence Codes, Economic Research Service.
Economic TypeClassifies counties designated as nonmetro into one of six nonoverlaping types that indicate the county's primary economic activity.

  • Farming-dependent -- Either 15 percent or more of average annual labor and proprietors' earnings derived from farming during 1998-2000 or 15 percent or more of employed residents worked in farm occupations in 2000.
  • Mining-dependent -- 15 percent or more of average annual labor and proprietors' earnings derived from mining during 1998-2000.
  • Manufacturing-dependent -- 25 percent or more of average annual labor and proprietors' earnings derived from manufacturing during 1998-2000.
  • Federal/State Government-dependent -- 15 percent or more of average annual labor and proprietors' earnings derived from Federal and State government during 1998-2000.
  • Services-dependent -- 45 percent or more of average annual labor and proprietors' earnings derived from services (SIC categories of retail trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and services) during 1998-2000.
  • Nonspecialized -- Did not meet the dependence threshold for any one of the above industries.
 2004 County Typology Codes, Economic Research Service.
Policy TypeClassification of nonmetropolitan counties into overlapping types with special relevancy for rural policy.
  • Housing Stress -- 30 percent or more of households had one or more of these housing conditions in 2000: lacked complete plumbing, lacked complete kitchen, paid 30 percent or more of income for owner costs or rent, or had more than 1 person per room.
  • Low Education -- 25 percent or more of residents 25-64 years old had neither a high school diploma nor GED in 2000.
  • Low Employment -- Less than 65 percent of residents 21-64 years old were employed in 2000.
  • Persistent Poverty -- 20 percent or more of residents were poor as measured by each of the last 4 censuses, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000.
  • Population Loss -- Number of residents declined both between the 1980 and 1990 censuses and between the 1990 and 2000 censuses.
 2004 County Typology Codes, Economic Research Service.
Forest Land:
Percent Land in NF National Forest acreage as a percentage of total land acreage in a county, 2001. National Forest Acreage Data: Land Areas of the National Forest System, U.S.D.A. Forest Service

Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Acreage in NF National Forest acreage, 2001. National Forest Acreage Data: Land Areas of the National Forest System, U.S.D.A. Forest Service
Total Forests Acreage Forest land in all ownership categories (i.e., public and private) Forest Acreage Data: Forest Inventory and Analysis Mapmaker, U.S.D.A. Forest Service

Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
National Forests and Acreage A list of National Forests contined in the county with its acreage within this county as of 2001 (note: a National Forest may span multiple counties). "Other" indicates a National Forest miscellaneous property, or the combination of multiple remaining National Forests into a single category. National Forest Names and Acreage Data: Land Areas of the National Forest System, U.S.D.A. Forest Service

Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Population and Demographic Change:
Total Population, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 Population of the county enumerated in the decenial census on the specified date. 2000 Census of Housing and Population, Technical Documentation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Total Population, 2005 Estimted population of the county. Federal-State Cooperative Population Estimates, U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Population Change Change in the county population between two respective censuses. Percentage change is calculated as: ((Pop at later Census - Pop at earlier Census)/ Pop at earlier Census) * 100. Analysis: K.M.Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Net Migration Calculated as the residual of Population Change minus Natural Increase. Percentage change from net migration is calculated as ((Population Change - Natural Increase)/ Population at earlier census) * 100. Birth and Death data: Federal-State Cooperative Population Estimates, U.S. Bureau of the Census

Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Natural Increase Difference between the number of births and deaths in the county during the Census interval. Percentage change due to natural increase is calculated as: ((Births - Deaths)/ Pop at earlier Census) * 100. Natural increase data are from the Federal State Cooperative Population Estimates produced by the U.S. Census Bureau. Birth and Death data: Federal-State Cooperative Population Estimates, U.S. Bureau of the Census

Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Demographic Characteristics (2000 Census):
Race - Population Race and Hispanic origin as calculated from 2000 census data. Categories are:
  • Non-Hisanic White,
  • Non-Hispanic Black,
  • Hispanic,
  • Non-Hispanic Asian,
  • Non-Hispanic American Indian,
  • Non-Hispanic Other.
 Population data: 2000 Census of Housing and Population, Technical Documentation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Race - Percent Race and Hispanic origin represented as a percentage of the 2000 census data. Categories are:
  • Non-Hisanic White,
  • Non-Hispanic Black,
  • Hispanic,
  • Non-Hispanic Asian,
  • Non-Hispanic American Indian,
  • Non-Hispanic Other.
 Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Age Structure - Population Age Structure represents aggregated age data from 2000 Census. Categories are:
  • 0 to 19 years
  • 20 to 39 years
  • 40 to 59 years
  • 60 years or older
 Population data: 2000 Census of Housing and Population, Technical Documentation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Age Structure - Percent Age Structure represented as a percentage of the 2000 Census data. Categories are:
  • 0 to 19 years
  • 20 to 39 years
  • 40 to 59 years
  • 60 years or older
 Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Median Age Calculated using the ratio of the 2000 Census enumeration mean to total population. Population data: SF2 Dataset, U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Population Density (per square mile) Census 2000 population divided by the county land area Population data: 2000 Census of Housing and Population, Technical Documentation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Analysis: K.M. Johnson, Loyola University Chicago
Population Over 25 with High School Census 2000 percentage of population 25 years and over with High School diploma. 2000 Census of Housing and Population, Technical Documentation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Population Over 25 with Bachelors or More Census 2000 percent of population over 25 years of age with Bachelors degree or more.  2000 Census of Housing and Population, Technical Documentation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Median Family Income 1999 median income of families. A family includes a householder and one or more individuals related to the householder by birth, marriage or adoption. 2000 Census of Housing and Population, Technical Documentation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Families Below Poverty Line Familes below the poverty line - Percentage of families in the county that are below the poverty threshold. The income threshold for poverty varies by family size, number of children and age of the householder. 2000 Census of Housing and Population, Technical Documentation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.