Upjohn Institute Rural Michigan Benchmarking Database

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In August of 2003, the Upjohn Institute completed a benchmark analysis of rural Michigan counties. Each of the state's 83 counties were grouped into one of four categories, based on the primary economic influences shaping their development: Urban Core Counties, Urban-influenced Rural Counties, Agriculture-focused Rural Counties, and Mixed-use Rural Counties. Plus, those counties heavily involved in tourism were examined in a separate sub-category. These regions were then compared with carefully selected groups of counties from other Great Lakes states, in order to gauge the overall economic performance of Michigan's rural counties.

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