Financial and Demographic Characteristics of Urban and Rural Local Governments in Four Northeast States.

Rural-urban fiscal and demographic differences were identified in local governments of Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. Census data and a classification system of urban and rural counties were used to analyze differences in local government revenue/expenditure levels and patterns, expenditure categories, population change, percent of population over 65, unemployment, and personal income per capita. Urban counties were found to have higher revenue/expenditure levels, lower education and highway expenditures, higher intergovernmental aid per capita, and higher property taxes. Rural counties were found to have lower revenue/expenditure levels, budgets dominated by education and highway expenditures, high percentage of elderly/low-income populations, and more population growth. Identified needs for further research included: (1) assess implications of rural-urban differences for public policy planning; (2) develop data sources and research designs specific to governmental structures and policy concerns of the respective states; (3) improve descriptive research on local government characteristics; (4) resolve problems of lack of comparable data on local government activities; and (5) recognize complexities of relating to processes of governance such functions as community preferences and circumstances, service costs, and ability to pay. Figures in the text present report data; tables of county types and comparative fiscal data comprise the appendix. (LFL)

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