The US rural poverty rate has been consistently higher than the urban rate for several decades. One question might be the extent to which changes in the US income distribution impact the rural rate more significantly than the urban rate. Using annual 1985-2015 data and regressing both poverty...

US poverty rates have averaged higher in rural (non-metro) counties than in urban (metro) countries. Previous studies have identified variables that might explain this difference, such as lack of employment opportunities; lack of transportation; and others. OLS analysis for 1985-2015 data shows...

Many US local economic development strategies rely on tax and other monetary incentives to attract employers. This study looks at whether other incentives related to “economic freedom” and labor market regulation could also improve local conditions. Two measures developed by Murphy (JRAP,...