Solar farms, such as this one in Greene County, are part of a growing energy industry cluster in the rural coastal region. Photo by Jane Harrison.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSome assets, such as land or natural resources, are unique to a place and influence the types of businesses that can succeed. For example, oyster farmers must locate their operations in waters with appropriate salinity levels, but this coastal environment cannot easily be replicated artificially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other assets, like labor, are more productive when used in combination with certain technologies or physical infrastructure. Consider a single shrimper with a 20-foot boat who can haul in 2,000 pounds of shrimp in a night. If he adds one additional crew member, he won\u2019t increase his landings. He needs a bigger boat to productively use that additional labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The size of a business operation and the markets it can sell to impact its effectiveness and efficiency. The cost savings from an increased level of production \u2014 \u201ceconomies of scale\u201d \u2014 mean, for instance, that a seafood processor with sizable business volume can bulk-purchase supplies at a lower rate than a smaller-scale competitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cClustered development\u201d \u2014 the close proximity of multiple businesses \u2014 facilitate economies of scale, as well as spillovers in knowledge that result in innovation. Clustering stems from private sector leadership and government partnerships that drive such outcomes as business and industrial parks. Important industrial clusters in the rural coastal region include aerospace and defense, food processing and manufacturing, and energy, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In pursuing economic development, some communities have a local focus. For example, a rural municipality can increase tax rates to benefit local schools. A town can implement zoning policies that encourage manufacturing firms to locate there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How a place relates to surrounding areas, though, is also a vital component of its economic success. Rural communities do not develop in a vacuum. Rural areas are, more than ever, integrated into a regional economy and tied to nearby urban centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, the economic structures of rural places increasingly mirror their urban counterparts. Most of the rural population does not depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. Today, even rural residents who engage in farming earn most of their incomes from off-farm employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like urban centers, rural areas with significant manufacturing bases develop commerce hubs and advanced supply chains in specific industries to compete with producers globally. Even the most remote rural areas are less isolated than in the past, with ever stronger ties to international markets and labor. Much of the coastal region is located near Interstate 95, facilitating transport of goods to large markets in other states. Deep-water ports in Morehead City and Wilmington provide rural regions with additional market access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regional economic integration depends upon robust market relationships and communications between rural and urban areas. Decreasing costs of transport and communication have been a boon to rural areas, yet the quality of these infrastructures continues to be inconsistent. For example, broadband access is still limited in some rural areas, curtailing the types of businesses that can locate there. In the non-metropolitan counties in the coastal region, approximately 60% of households have broadband internet service subscriptions. In metropolitan counties like Wake, Durham, and Mecklenburg, 80% or more rely on broadband.4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\nContinued Rural Investment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To sustain economic well-being, rural communities must continue to invest in the productivity of unique assets that support economic development. Increased access to high-quality education and workforce development programs can strengthen the labor force. In addition, land and water resources in the coastal region will support further development as long as economic activity is in balance with the capacity of these natural systems. Financial capital will follow where labor and land quality are high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In coming years, high-amenity and urban-adjacent rural areas that comprise North Carolina\u2019s coastal region are likely to continue to be competitive in a global economy, while more remote rural places may require additional investment to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1 U.S. Census Bureau. 2018. American Fact Finder. https:\/\/factfinder.census.gov.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n2 Goetz, Stephan J., Partridge, Mark D., and Heather M. Stephens. 2018. The economic status of rural America in the President Trump era and beyond. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 40 (1)<\/em>: 97-118.<\/p>\n\n\n\n3 Fulton, John A., Fuguitt, Glenn V., and Richard M. Gibson. 1997. Recent changes in metropolitan-nonmetropolitan migration streams. Rural Sociology 62 (3)<\/em>: 363-384.<\/p>\n\n\n\n4 North Carolina Broadband Infrastructure Office. 2019. Broadband adoption recommendations. https:\/\/www.ncbroadband.gov\/connectingnc\/broadband-adoption.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n