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).

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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.

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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.

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Download Methodology

deeds
News

County shines light on property deed history of racially restrictive covenants

The Durham County, N.C. Register of Deeds is using public records information and archival documentation to educate county residents on racially restrictive covenants in property deeds and how their impact can still be felt today. 

Corey Ringenberg, special initiatives director for Coconino County, Ariz., compares his team’s business development strategy to the book and film “Moneyball,” encouraging communities to just get ‘on base’ and not try to hit home runs. Photo by Jorge Rodriguez-Stanley
County News

Coal counties search for a crystal ball to their futures

The transition from a coal-reliant community is not just an economic adjustment, it's a cultural transformation.

roots
County News

Fixing titles opens doors for Black homeowners

Washtenaw County, Mich. has returned $3.3 million in real estate to families who were forced by segregation to rely on complex legal strategies to buy homes.