County Economies Grew by 5.9 Percent Between 2020 and 2021

Percent change in county GDP between 2020 and 2021.

Note: Real GDP in 2012 chained dollars.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis; Regional Accounts - Gross Domestic Product by County, 2022.

Output and Productivity Amid a Global Pandemic

2021 County GDP Analysis

Output and Productivity Amid a Global Pandemic, published in March 2023, analyzes the impact of the pandemic on county economies, drawing on new county-level gross domestic product (GDP) data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

Download Full Report

Archive of County Economy Publications

County Economic Output Trends, 2020

County Economic Output Trends analyzes 2018 county-level gross domestic product (GDP) data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), finding a diverse national economy on the rise, but evidence that not all local economies are experiencing the same expansion.

Download Full Report

Local Economies in the Global Market, 2020

Local Economies in the Global Market analyzes county engagement with the world economy through NACo’s new Global Market Engagement (GME) Index, emphasizing the key role counties play in encouraging exports and exploring foreign investment.

Download Full Report

Download Methodology

Hertford County Commission Chair André Lassiter Sr. Photo by Devin Zagar/7 Foot Productions
County News

Inland port offers opportunity for Hertford County, N.C.

Hertford County, N.C. doesn’t have a lighthouse, but that hasn’t stopped its economic future from shining thanks to what became known as Project Green Lantern.

Audrain County, Mo. Commissioner Leslie Meyer Photo by Devin Zagar/7 Foot Productions
County News

Chamber of commerce program helps keep workers on the job

Audrain County, Mo.'s Workforce Resource Assistance Program has helped employers keep staff in place, reducing turnover and promoting stability.

Economic mobility
County News

County leadership guides shared prosperity

There’s no chicken-or-egg debate: Economic mobility is not just a byproduct of growth — it is the result of intentional county governance.