A recent analysis shows that 432 counties in the United States have a significant focus on recreation within their local economies. These counties are primarily located near natural attractions such as the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the Great Lakes, smaller inland lakes like the Lake of the Ozarks, and mountainous regions including the Rockies and Appalachians. According to data from the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), these areas derive a substantial portion of their income and employment from sectors like arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, food services, and real estate. Notably, 32% of these recreation-focused counties are urban, while 68% are rural. The ERS’s County Typology Codes also categorize counties based on other economic activities such as farming, mining, manufacturing, and government. This information is part of the ERS County Typology Codes data product, last updated in April 2025.
— news from Economic Research Service (.gov)
— News Original —
Most recreation-concentrated counties located near coasts, lakes, and mountains
For 432 counties, recreation is a particularly important part of the local economy. Researchers with USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) track the economic structure of the United States’s 3,143 counties as part of their County Typology Codes data product. The data show that counties with a high concentration of economic activity in recreation (relative to other counties) are located along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, near the Great Lakes, near smaller inland lakes such as the Lake of the Ozarks, and in parts of the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains. These counties have a high combined share of vacation housing and of labor and proprietors’ earnings and employment being in arts, entertainment, and recreation; accommodation and food services; and real estate and rental and leasing services. Thirty-two percent of high recreation-concentration counties are urban, whereas 68 percent are rural. ERS’s County Typology Codes also identify counties with high concentrations in farming, mining, manufacturing, and government, as well as counties that do not specialize in any of these industries. This figure appears in the ERS County Typology Codes data product, updated in April 2025.