Average USDA, Rural Development investment grew in every rural county type between 2000 and 2024

Average investments through programs administered by USDA, Rural Development (RD) across rural counties were substantially higher in 2012–2024 relative to 2000–2011. The rise in investment is evident even after adjusting prior year data for inflation. However, these increases in investment or obligations—formal financial commitments toward a project at the time of its approval—varied by the economic structure of each rural county type. USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) researchers used a version of the 2015 County Typology Codes to classify counties into one of six exclusive industry dependency types—farming, mining, manufacturing, Federal and State Government, recreation, or nonspecialized—based on county industry dominance as measured by earnings and jobs. The highest per capita RD investments in both the early years (2000–2011) and later years (2012–2024) were in farming-dependent counties. Average funding per capita in these counties increased from $3,741 per person during 2000–2011 to $4,693 per person during 2012–2024. However, manufacturing‑dependent counties experienced the largest increase in per capita RD investments between the two periods. Mining‑dependent counties also saw notable per capita investment growth. This chart appears in the ERS report Exploring USDA Rural Development Programs, published in May 2026.