Skip to main content

Codes for Spreadsheet

October 1, 1996

Codes for Spreadsheet
Column
Description
A
FIPS Code
B
County Name and State
C
Area in Square Miles
D
Beale Code, see Below for Definitions
E
Economic Code, see Below for Definitions
F
Policy Code, see Below for Definitions
G
1850 Population
H
1860 Population
I
1870 Population
J
1880 Population
K
1890 Population
L
1900 Population
M
1910 Population
N
1920 Population
O
1930 Population
P
1940 Population
Q
1950 Population
R
1500 Population
S
1970 Population
T
1980 Population
U
1990 Population
V
1904 Population

Column D: Beale Codes Definitions

Code
Description*
0
Central counties of metropolitan areas of 1 million population or more
1
Fringe counties of metropolitan areas of 1 million population or more
2
Counties in metropolitan areas of 250,000 - 1,000,000 population
3
Counties in metropolitan areas of less than 250,000 population
4
Urban population of 20,000 or more, adjacent to a metropolitan area
5
Urban population of 20,000 or more, not adjacent to a metropolitan area
6
Urban population of 2,500-19,999, adjacent to a metropolitan area
7
Urban population of 2,500-19,999, not adjacent to a metropolitan area
8
Completely rural (no places with a population of 2,500 or more), adjacent to a metropolitan area
9
Completely rural (no places with a population of 2,500 or more) not adjacent to a metropolitan area
*Metropolitan areas refers to metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs)
Source: Calvin L. Beale, Senior Demographer, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Column E: Economic Codes for Rural Counties

Code
Description
1
Farming-dependent - Farming contributed a weighted annual average of 20 percent or more labor and proprietor income over the three years from 1987 to 1989.
2
Mining-dependent - Mining contributed a weighted annual average of 15 percent or more labor and proprietor income over the three years from 1987 to 1989.
3
Manufacturing-dependent - Manufacturing contributed a weighted annual average of 30 percent or more labor and proprietor income over the three years from 1987 to 1989.
4
Government-dependent - Government activities contributed a weighted annual average of 25 percent or more labor and proprietor income over the three years from 1987 to 1989.
5
Services-dependent - Service activities contributed a weighted annual average of 50 percent or more labor and proprietor income over the three years from 1987 to 1989.
6
Non-specialized - Counties not classified as a specialized economic type over the three years from 1987 to 1989.
8
Counties within metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).
9
Not be classified as an economic type because of data suppression.
Source: Peggy J. Cook and Karen L. Mizer, The Revised ERS County Typology, Rural Development Research Report 89, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, December 1994

Column F: Policy Codes for Rural Counties

Code
Description
0
Not classified.
7
Retirement destination - The population aged 60 years and over in 1990 increased by 15 percent or more from 1980-90 through immigration of people.
8
Federal lands - Federally-owned lands made up 30 percent or more of a county's land area.
9
Persistent poverty - Persons with poverty-level income in the preceding year were 20 percent or more of total population in each of four years, 1500, 1970, 1980, and 1990.
10
Commuting - Workers aged 16 years and over commuting to jobs outside their county of residence were 40 percent or more of all the county's workers in 1990.
11
Transfers-dependent - Income from transfer payments (Federal, state, and local) contributed a weighted annual average of 25 percent or more of total personal income over the three years from 1987 to 1989.
Source: Peggy J. Cook and Karen L. Mizer, The Revised ERS County Typology, Rural Development Research Report 89, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, December 1994