County Economic Trends

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).
Archive of County Economy Publications
County Economic Output Trends, 2020County 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. | |
Local Economies in the Global Market, 2020Local 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. |

Senators introduce bipartisan legislation to level playing field for rural communities
Senators introduced the Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act, bipartisan legislation intended to advance economic development in rural counties and overcome barriers to obtaining federal funding and resources.

Economic mobility is ‘more than just a paycheck,’ Allan Golston says
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Program strategy aims to ease access to safety net benefits, help local leaders promote economic mobility and join partners to unify the economic mobility field.

DOL issues final rule on updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations
On August 8, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a final rule to raise the prevailing wage standard for approximately 1.2 million construction workers under the Davis-Bacon and Davis-Bacon Related Acts.