LET'S TALK NUMBERS. Or rather, statewide data. A new index tabulated by some University of Wisconsin Extension scholars, dubbed the "prosperity index," identifies some of the factors that make – or break – the quality of life in our state and beyond.

Over the years, Eau Claire has landed on numerous state and national “best of” lists for livability, affordability, business opportunity, and more. But what do such rankings really mean? Are they based on measurable metrics or just vibes? 

A new index tabulated by some University of Wisconsin Extension scholars suggests there are tangible factors behind some of these accolades. In a report published in January as part of the “Windicators” series, researchers Danielle Schmidt, Tessa Conroy, and Steven Deller measured the prosperity of all 72 of Wisconsin’s counties based on how each county compares to national averages. And – spoiler alert – Eau Claire County did pretty well.

It's a relative scale, of course: Having a poverty rate lower than the national average doesn't mean there's not a problem of poverty or homelessness in a given place – as many Eau Claire residents can attest. Nonetheless, by this measure, 29 Wisconsin counties – Eau Claire County among them – rated as "extremely prosperous" based on 2020 statistics.

The researchers looked at census data measuring four factors: education (specifically, the high school dropout rate), substandard housing conditions, poverty, and unemployment. This information was used to score each county on what they termed a “prosperity index.” For each of these factors in which a county did better than the national average it received one point on the index. A county with a score of four points was considered “extremely prosperous,” while a score of zero meant “lacking measurable prosperity.”

It’s a relative scale, of course: Having a poverty rate lower than the national average doesn’t mean there’s not a problem of poverty or homelessness in a given place – as many Eau Claire residents can attest. Nonetheless, by this measure, 29 Wisconsin counties – Eau Claire County among them – rated as “extremely prosperous” based on 2020 statistics. Furthermore, Eau Claire County’s numbers in all four measured areas all went in a positive direction: For example, the county’s poverty rate dipped from 15.7% in 2010 to 12.1% in 2020. 

Elsewhere in the Chippewa Valley, Dunn County also earned a score of four while Chippewa County scored a three (“very prosperous”). Interestingly, the number of counties with a score of four slid from 48 in 2000 to 42 in 2010 to just 29 in 2020, the researchers found.

Historically speaking, Wisconsin is a relatively prosperous place, they wrote: “We find Wisconsin is at the center of the largest concentration of community-level prosperity in the United States, routinely faring better than the national average on all four dimensions we use to measure place prosperity.” 

To see the whole report, which delves deeper into the statistics and their potential implications for improving Wisconsin communities, visit economicdevelopment.extension.wisc.edu/article-program/windicators.