Rural Benchmark
Rural Benchmark 


Welcome to the updated and enhanced Rural Benchmarking Database, supported by the Michigan Rural Network and maintained by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. The database provides the latest statistics on employment, income, school performance, health and social characteristics for the state's 83 counties.

Each of the state's counties is grouped into one of four categories, based on the primary economic influences shaping their development:

  • Urban Core Counties: These are the counties which contain the core and/or major suburban cities of a metropolitan statistical area (MSA).
  • Urban-influenced Rural Counties: Counties in this category are the non-core counties included in MSAs, and non-MSA counties which are highly influenced by one or more urban core counties in the area. If the percentage of the county's employed residents commuting into neighboring urban core counties plus the change in percentage of county residents commuting to the urban counties between 1990 and 2000 is greater than 40 percent, then it is included in this grouping.
  • Agriculture-focused Rural Counties: These rural counties are strongly dependent on their agricultural sector. To be accepted he county must pass the following statistical test: The average percentage of the county's total income and/or employment derived from farming during the three-year period of 1998 to 2000 must be greater-than or equal-to one standard deviation above the 83-county average for the three-year period.
  • Mixed-use Rural Counties: This includes all remaining rural counties

    • Plus, those counties heavily involved in tourism are examined in a separate sub-category: Tourist. A county is grouped into the Tourist category, if the percentage of its total income generated by eating and drinking places is greater than one standard deviation above the mean for the state. All counties examined in the Tourist sub- grouping are also included in one of the three primary rural categories (urban core counties were excluded from consideration).

    Every county in the state can be compared to both the Michigan and the Great Lakes states groupings (Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin). To access this interactive table viewer, use the pull-down menu below.

    Study Executive Summary.

    Excel file with variable descriptions.

    If you have any questions or suggestions on how we can improve the Rural Michigan Benchmarking Data presented here, please feel free to send an email.


    Choose the county in which you would like benchmark data for.

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    Population

    2008 Population 2000 Population 2000-2008 Population Change
    2008 Under age 5 2000 Under age 5 2000-2008 Change Under age 5
    2008 Age 5 to 14 2000 Age 5 to 14 2000-2008 Change Age 5 to 14
    2008 age 15 to 24 2000 age 15 to 24 2000-2008 Change age 15 to 24
    2008 age 25 to 34 2000 age 25 to 34 2000-2008 Change age 25 to 34
    2008 age 35 to 49 2000 age 35 to 49 2000-2008 Change age 35 to 49
    2008 age 50 to 64 2000 age 50 to 64 2000-2008 Change age 50 to 64
    2008 age 65 to 84 2000 age 65 to 84 2000-2008 Change age 65 to 84
    2008 age 85+ 2000 age 75+ 2000-2008 Change age 85+

    Employment

    2008 Total Employment 2001 Total Employment 2001-2008 Total Employment Change
    2008 Manufacturing Employment 2001 Manufacturing Employment 2001-2008 Total Manufacturing Employment Change
    2008 Manufacturing Location Quotient 2001 Manufacturing Location Quotient 2001-2008 Manufacturing Location Quotient Change
    2008 Farm Employment 2001 Farm Employment 2001-2008 Farm Employment Change
    2008 Government Employment 2001 Government Employment 2001-2008 Government Employment Change
    2008 Non Manufacturing, Farm, or Government Employment 2001 Non Manufacturing, Farm, or Government Employment 2001-2008 Non-Manufacturing, Farm, or Gov't Employment Change
    2008 Retail Employment 2001 Retail Employment 2001-2008 Retail Employment Change
    2008 Accommodation and Food Service Employment 2001 Accommodation and Food Service Employment 2001-2008 Accommodation and Food Service Employment Change
    2009 Unemployment Rate
    2006-2008 Employment/Population Ratio

    Income

    2006-2008 Migration Out Households Total
    2006-2008 Migration In Households Total
    2006-2008 Average Household Migration Net Change
    2006-2008 Migration Income Net Change
    2008 Per Capita Income 2001 Per Capita Income 2001-2008 Per Capita Income Change
    2008 Annual Earnings Per Person (in thousands) 2001 Annual Earnings Per Person (in thousands) 2001-2008 Annual Earnings Change
    2008 Manufacturing Annual Earnings Per Person (in thousands) 2001 Manufacturing Annual Earnings Per Person (in thousands) 2001-2008 Manufacturing Annual Earning Change
    2008 Government Annual Earnings per Person Total (in thousands) 2001 Government Annual Earnings per Person Total (in thousands) 2001-2008 Government Annual Earning Change
    2008 Private, Non-Manufacturing Earnings Per Person (in thousand 2001 Private, Non-Manufacturing Earnings Per Person (in thousand 2001-2008 Private Non-Manufacturing Earnings Change
    2008 Retail Earnings Per Person (in thousands) 2001 Retail Earnings Per Person (in thousands) 2001-2008 Retail Earning Change
    2008 Accommodation and Food Service Earnings Per Person (in thou 2001 Accommodation and Food Service Earnings Per Person (in thou 2001-2008 Accommodation and Food Service Earning Change
    2008 Total Transfer Payments (in thousands) 2001 Total Transfer Payments (in thousands) 2001-2008 Transfer Payment Change
    2008 Per Capita Transfer Payments (in thousands) 2001 Per Capita Transfer Payments (in thousands)
    2006-2008 Percent in Poverty

    Farms

    2008 Farms Total 2008 Farm Acres 2008 Farm Expenses
    2008 Farm Product Revenue 2008 Revenue Per Acre 2008 Revenue Per Acre Less Expenses

    Students and Educational Achievement

    2007 Students 2007 Pupil/Teacher Ratio
    2007 Free and Reduced Price Lunch 2007 % Free and Reduced Price Lunch
    2006- 2008 Percent with a Bachelor's degree or Higher

    Business and Employment Dynamics

    2005-2007 Change in Establishments
    2008 Wage and Salary Employment
    2008 Job Creation 2008 Job Creation Rate
    2008 Net Job Flows 2008 Net Job Flows Rate
    2008 New Hires 2008 New Hires Rate
    2008 Separations 2008 Separation Rate
    2009 Bankruptcy Rate

    Public Health and Crime Statistics

    1999-2006 Deaths 1999-2006 Death Rate (per 100,000)
    1999-2006 Infant Population 1999-2006 Infant Deaths 1999-2006 Infant Mortality Rate (per 100,000)
    1999-2006 Homicides 1999-2006 Homicide Rate (per 100,000)
    1999-2006 Suicides 1999-2006 Suicide Rate (per 100,000)

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    Michigan Only
    Great Lakes Area