Annual 'Best Places to Live in Rural America' Rankings Released

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Barren County in Kentucky took top honors in the third-annual edition of the "Best Places to Live in Rural America" rankings by The Progressive Farmer magazine, released today. Each year, the rankings name the top 10 rural counties in the nation according to several quality-of-life indicators and statistics; all 10 counties are profiled in the February 2007 issue of The Progressive Farmer.

The rankings underscore the growing interest in "new ruralism," or the trend of migration toward rural areas. Most rural areas in the nation are growing at the fastest rate in more than 20 years, and 71 percent of rural counties in America gained population from 1990 to 2000, according to two recent studies by Kenneth Johnson of Loyola University in Chicago.

"Each month, our magazine covers the issues and trends found in rural America, and more and more we see all kinds of people forging new paths and pursuing less hectic lifestyles," said senior editor Jamie Cole. "We feel our rankings reflect the newfound energy and vitality of rural America and showcase places that offer the very best in quality of life and comfort for their residents and workers."

The Top 10 List of "Best Places to Live in Rural America"

A strong and growing economy, great education, superior access to health care and historical flavor were all important reasons why Barren County, Ky. was selected as the best place to live in rural America this year. The county of nearly 40,000 residents, located midway between Louisville, Ky., and Nashville, Tenn. in south-central Kentucky, also is known for its rolling farmland and friendly residents. In the words of one resident, "People here are just different."

In order, the other counties selected among the top 10 "Best Places to Live in Rural America" are:

   2.  Warren County, Pa. -- On the south side of the New York-Pennsylvania
       border one hour east of Erie, the county is renowned for its rolling
       hills and vivid seasons.
   3.  Randolph County, Ill. -- Located one hour south of St. Louis, just to
       the east of the Mississippi River, this county plays an important
       role in Illinois' history as the place where French traders first
       settled in the early 1700s.  The city of Chester also hosts the
       annual Popeye Picnic, which pays homage to the town's native son --
       the creator of the famous comic-strip.
   4.  Gillespie County, Texas -- Located in the heart of Texas' Hill
       Country, about one hour west of Austin, this quintessential Texas
       county features cowboys, cattle ranches and wide-open spaces -- and
       wildflowers, citrus orchards and German cultural influences.
   5.  Union County, S.D. -- Union County is the only county in the 2007
       rankings to be held over from the top 10 in 2006.  Situated in the
       southeastern corner of South Dakota, the county is an anchor for
       agriculture, education and culture.
   6.  St. Lawrence County, N.Y. -- This county, one of the largest in land
       size in the nation, is located in upstate New York, across the
       Canadian border from Montreal.  Nestled in the Adirondacks, the
       county boasts great artwork, fine arts, hunting and fishing.
   7.  Sac County, Iowa -- Located in the northwestern part of the state,
       Sac County is a quintessential farming area known for corn, soybeans,
       dairy and hogs and a special sense of community that all residents
       enjoy.
   8.  Garfield County, Okla. -- A bustling wheat and cattle agricultural
       region about 85 miles north of Oklahoma City, Garfield County began
       in 1893 when thousands of prospective landowners came to the area to
       stake land claims.
   9.  Amador County, Calif. -- Just a short drive east of Sacramento,
       Amador County is known for having three distinct lifestyles: a "gold
       rush" feel in the southwest, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
       Mountains in the east and wine country in the northwest.
   10. Polk County, N.C. -- Tucked into the foothills of the Appalachian
       Mountains 30 miles south of Asheville, Polk County is full of small
       towns, making it a popular tourist stop.  It also is one of the few
       counties in the region without a Wal-Mart.


  Rankings Methodology

As in past years, The Progressive Farmer partnered with OnBoard LLC, a real estate research firm, to identify the most desirable rural counties to live in based on several quality-of-life indicators and statistics: household income, household spending, home and land prices, crime rates, air quality, education and access to health care. After this list was compiled, magazine editors traveled for several months to visit the top counties and take pictures, interview residents and get a feel for each place. Ten counties were then chosen as the "Best Places to Live in Rural America," and an additional 290 counties were selected to be profiled on the magazine's Web site as other best places to live in rural America.

All 300 counties are featured on the magazine's interactive Web site and sorted by region and statistical category. To view the comprehensive rankings online, or create your own personal list of "Best Places to Live in Rural America" using the same criteria editors used in the rankings, log onto http://www.progressivefarmer.com/bestplaces .

About The Progressive Farmer Magazine

Established in 1886, The Progressive Farmer offers a blend of practical lifestyle and agricultural information to meet the needs of people who own land and live in rural America. With more than 630,000 subscribers concentrated in the South and Midwest, The Progressive Farmer is the largest publication focusing on the information needs of the growing rural lifestyle market. The magazine, which is now owned by real-time market information services leader DTN, is available by subscription only, which can be ordered by calling (800) 292-2340 or visiting http://www.progressivefarmer.com/ .

About DTN

DTN, a private company based in Omaha, Neb., is the leading business-to- business provider of real-time market, news and weather information services to agriculture, energy trading markets and other weather-sensitive industries. The company delivers on-demand market information, commodity cash prices, industry news and in-depth analysis, and location-specific weather to over 120,000 subscribers through DTN for agriculture, refined fuels and trading markets, and DTN/Meteorlogix. More information can be found at http://www.dtn.com/ .