Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development

 

 

Archive for Economic Development, Resilience, and Innovation

To Stay or Go? New Insights into Northeast Rural Households’ Intention to Move

In this NERCRD data brief, findings from the 2024 NER-Stat household survey shed light on which rural households are more likely to move and their reasons for wanting to do so.

Authors: Yuan Zhuang, PhD Candidate, Penn State Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education

Publication: Published by NERCRD   Date Published: August 24, 2026

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Energy price shocks slow state economies; spur energy efficiency investments

July 17, 2026

Rising energy prices in the U.S. reduce the economic output of states, but they also set in motion investments in more efficient equipment and technologies that partially offset those output losses over time, according to a new study by NERCRD researchers.

The impact of energy price shocks on US local industries: A state-level analysis

In this study, the researchers use annual panel data for the 50 US States to examine how local industries have adapted to energy price changes from 2001 to 2019. They estimate a recursive dynamic system to model how energy prices affect output both directly and indirectly through induced capital adjustment and energy intensity. They find that energy price increases reduce local GDP in the short run but also lead to long-term increases in energy efficiency.

Authors: Minsu Kim and Stephan J. Goetz

Publication: Energy Economics   Date Published: July 15, 2026

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2026 Northeast Housing Summit

Registration is now open for the Northeast Housing Summit, which will take place virtually on September 22, 2026, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM ET.  This page will be updated regularly as more information becomes available.

Exploring sustainable tourism indicators (STIs) for the U.S. with secondary data

In this article, the researchers propose using secondary data to develop a novel composite sustainable tourism indicator while also addressing advantages and limitations of the survey-based approaches used in Europe to measure sustainability in tourism. They apply this indicator to recreation-dependent U.S. counties and find that while some counties improve across multiple sustainability dimensions, others experience inconsistent trends, highlighting the complex relationships between tourism development and local community well-being.

Authors: Luyi Han, Stephan Goetz, Doug Arbogast, and Daniel Eades

Publication: Tourism Economics   Date Published: May 22, 2026

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Hunger affected mental health more than income, job loss amid COVID-19 pandemic

April 14, 2026

Not having enough food may have had a greater negative effect on mental health in the United States than unemployment or loss of income during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published in Plos ONE. The study was led by Linlin Fan, associate professor of agricultural economics at Penn State, and NERCRD Director Stephan Goetz. Yuxuan Pan, a former NERCRD postdoctoral scholar and now at the University of Kentucky, also contributed to the study.

Economic shocks, food insufficiency and mental health: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic

Millions of Americans experienced a sudden loss of income along with hunger early in the COVID-19 outbreak. Using Household Pulse Survey data from April 23, 2020 to March 29, 2021, the authors found that the pandemic significantly impacted both food sufficiency and mental health, with food insufficiency having a larger negative impact on mental health than income loss.

Authors: Yuxuan Pan, Linlin Fan, Stephan Goetz

Publication: Plos ONE   Date Published: March 12, 2026

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Caregiving Along the Life Course Among Farming Households

This research was funded in part by NERCRD, and draws upon the Northeast and North Central Caregiving Survey conducted by the Regional Rural Development Centers. Using survey data from 704 farming caregivers in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest, the authors examine four research questions: 1) Who are the caregivers? 2) What resources does caregiving require? 3) How does caregiving impact farming caregivers’ finances and well-being? 4) What type of support do caregivers use and what support do they want?

Authors: Emily M. L. Southard and Florence A. Becot

Publication: Journal of Agromedicine   Date Published: March 5, 2026

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Penn State Spring 2026 Land-Use Webinar Series announced

January 7, 2026

The Penn State Extension Land Use Webinar Series, organized in partnership with the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (PA-APA) and the NERCRD, offers five monthly webinars beginning January 21 on land use topics affecting the communities of Pennsylvania.

Innovative businesses may be less likely to be approved for credit loans

October 1, 2025

Innovation helps spur rural economies, but a new study by NERCRD researchers and their collaborators found that while firms incorporating innovation into their business model had higher credit application rates, they were less successful in receiving loans, especially in rural areas.

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