Thursday, November 18, 2010

Patchwork Nation

Patchwork Nation is a website that first came to my attention during the 2008 Presidential election. The authors use demographic and economic data to assign every county into one of 12 categories. These include designating counties as 'Boom Town,' 'Emptying Nests,' and 'Monied 'Burbs.' On the website, one can even find that an index is provided per county of how difficult it is to live in a particular county.

Cobb County is designated a 'Monied 'Burb.' Paulding, Bartow, Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer Counties all receive the designation of 'Boom Towns.'

The authors have maintained and updated the website since 2008. A companion book, with the same title, has recently been released. You can find out what local colleges and/or public libraries near you own the book by using the Worldcat database within Galileo.

-JWF