Some 217 rural counties are among the nation’s top “creative-class” counties, says the Daily Yonder. They rank in the top 25 percent of counties in percentage of workers in fields such as the arts, architecture and engineering. “The creative-class thesis holds that communities that attract and retain more workers who are in creative occupations will fare better in today’s economy,” says the Yonder.
Along with its story, the Yonder provides an interactive map that highlights the rural and urban “creative class” counties. The rural counties include touristy Door County in Wisconsin; McDonough County, home of Western Illinois University; Rutland County, Vermont; and Lincoln County on Oregon’s Pacific coast.