BUSINESS NEWS
INVESTING
- Stock Quotes
- Stock Charts
- Stock Ticker
- Portfolio
- Stock Screener
- Broker Center
- Mutual Fund Center
- ETF Center
- Money
- 24/7 Wall St.
PERSONAL FINANCE
- Banking
- Personal Finance Advice Center
- WalletPop
- Finance Calculators
- Credit Cards
- Credit Reports
- Debt Management
- Identity Theft
- Insurance
- Interest Rates
- Finance Community
- Money Coach
- Loans
- Mortgages
- Retirement
- Specials
- Taxes
- Bill Pay
SMALL BUSINESS
Best Places to Live in Rural America
Progressive Farmer's 2007 Annual Report
Previous-
Looking to escape the rat race? You can!
Progressive Farmer can help you find the best rural place to live in America. The editors compared the numbers you care about such as education, crime and health care, and then looked for those special qualities one can't measure.
See what they've come up with.
Start Slide Show ... -
Story and Photos by Joe Link
No. 1: Barren County,
Kentucky
Barren County is the kind of place where people come, like what they see, then decide to call it home. With its rolling farmland and friendly residents, there's little reason to wonder why. ... [And] while many rural areas have struggled to attract commerce, businesses here are thriving. -
Story and Photos by Jamie Cole
No. 2: Warren County,
Pennsylvania
Warren County is the kind of place that seems custom-made for every season on the calendar. It's tucked underneath the New York-Pennsylvania state line and just an hour or so from the lakeside town of Erie. A river runs through it -- the Allegheny -- strikingly picturesque at every bend. -
Story and Photos by Gregg Hillyer
No. 3: Randolph,
IllinoisThere's a lot to smile about in this southwestern Illinois county. Located an hour south of St. Louis, its western border hugs the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. Travel along the Great River Road and you'll see fertile river bottoms planted to corn, soybeans and wheat that abruptly stop below towering limestone bluffs.
-
Story and Photos By Jamie Cole
No. 4: Gillespie,
Texas
In many ways, Gillespie County is the kind of place you think of when you picture Texas: lots of wide-open spaces, cattle ranches, old men in cowboy hats. Even the major highways have cattle crossings. But in other ways, it surprises: this county is more well-known for citrus than cattle. -
Story and Photos By Jim Patrico
No. 5: Union County,
South Dakota
Fly over Union County, S.D., some misty morning and you get a perspective on what makes this a special place to live. Down south you'll see where the Missouri River and the Big Sioux River merge, creating flat, fertile farmland that is the county's economic anchor. -
Story and Photos by Joe Link
No. 6: St. Lawrence
New York
In this one county -- and granted, it is one of the biggest counties in the United States -- you'll find a wonderful mix of attractions: traditional arts, great hunting and fishing, an outstanding collection of Frederic Remington artwork. -
Story and Photos By Jim Patrico
No. 7
Sac County, IowaIf the sight of golden corn on rolling hills in summer evening sunlight doesn't make your heart glad, Sac County, Iowa, might not be the place for you. ... And if you don't like friendly people who know how to get things done, don't slow down when you see the Sac County highway signs.
-
Story and Photos By Jim Patrico
No. 8:
Garfield, Oklahoma
Eighty-five miles from Oklahoma City and 120 miles from Tulsa, Garfield County is largely an agricultural region -- wheat and cattle. The countryside around county seat Enid is dotted with horse pastures and folks living on acreages. -
Story and Photos by Jamie Cole
No. 9: Amador County,
California
To the southwest are the towns of Amador City, Drytown and Sutter Creek, along with the county seat of Jackson and small farms and ranches. The low-slung buildings and storefronts along the main streets evoke the Wild West. -
Story and Photos By Joe Link
No. 10: Polk County,
North Carolina
Hip, trendy Asheville is just 30 minutes to the north ... And yet this little cluster of communities, tucked into the foothills of the Appalachians, has somehow gone unnoticed. Consider this: Polk County does not have a Wal-Mart. -
Household Income
These counties rank the highest in annual household income:
1: Eagle County, Colorado
2: Summit County, Utah
3: San Benito, California
4: Fauquier, Virginia
5: Pitkin County, Colorado
6: Queen Anne's, Maryland
7: Summit, Colorado
8: Monroe County, Illinois
9: El Dorado, California
10: Goochland, Virginia
Next: Lowest Spending -
Lowest Spending
These counties have lowest average household spending, ranging from $38k to $42k:
1: Montgomery County, Kansas
2: Bourbon County, Kansas
3: Allen County, Kansas
4: Vance, North Carolina
5: Orleans County, Vermont
6: Union County, Iowa
7: Knox County, Indiana
8: Chowan, North Carolina
9: Brown County, Kansas
10: Clinton, Pennsylvania
Next: Most Affordable -
Most Affordable
Based on home price and income ratios, these are the most affordable counties:
1: Paulding County Ohio
2: Pleasants, West Virginia
3: Allegany County New York
4: Sac County Iowa
5: Monroe County Iowa
6: Osceola County Iowa
7: Emmet County Iowa
8: Webster County Kentucky
9: Brown County Illinois
10: Franklin County Iowa
Next: Air Quality -
Best Air Quality
Based on air pollution indexes, these counties have the best air quality:
1: Branch County Michigan
2: McDuffie County Georgia
3: Effingham County Georgia
4: Steuben County Indiana
5: Lincoln County Georgia
6: Autauga County Alabama
7: Oconee County Georgia
8: Monroe Bryan, Georgia
9: Kennebec County Maine
10: Dale County, Alabama
Next: Access to Healthcare -
Access to Healthcare
Based on a health density ratio of resources to number of people:
1: Pitkin County Colorado
2: Talbot County Maryland
3: Boyle County Kentucky
4: Lancaster County Virginia
5: Ellis County Kansas
6: Emmet County Michigan
7: Dickinson County Michigan
8: Pulaski County Georgia
9: Essex County Virginia
10: Davison, South Dakota
Next: Warmest Counties -
Warmest Counties
Based on maximum January temperatures, here are the warmest counties:
1: Colusa County California
2: Panola County Texas
3: Lampasas County Texas
4: Freestone County Texas
5: Washington County Texas
6: Tehama County California
7: Rains County Texas
8: Victoria County Texas
9: Wagoner County Oklahoma
10: Wood County Texas
Next: Coldest Counties -
Coldest Counties
Coldest counties based on minimum temperature in January:
1: Dodge County Minnesota
2: Pope County Minnesota
3: Douglas County Minnesota
4: Waseca County Minnesota
5: Carlton County Minnesota
6: Steele County Minnesota
7: Pennington, Minnesota
8: Redwood County Minnesota
9: Hubbard County Minnesota
10: Wabasha, Minnesota
Next: Most College-Educated -
Most College-Educated
Highest number of high school grads who enroll in college:
1: Pitkin County Colorado
2: Albemarle County Virginia
3: Benton County Oregon
4: Summit County Colorado
5: Latah County Idaho
6: Riley County Kansas
7: Story County Iowa
8: Oconee County Georgia
9: Summit County Utah
10: Eagle County Colorado
All Top Tens
Next: More Money Features -
Make, save and learn about your money!
Stock Quotes
Tax Guidance
Personal Finance
Money & Lifestyle Features
