Last week the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published research it did examining Army, Army reserve and National Guard recruitment rates for every county in the nation from 2004 to 2007. It found that rural counties have by far much higher recruitment rates than do non-rural counties. Using a recruitment rate index (number of recruitments per 10,000 people) the study found that 11 of the highest 115 county rates (a rate of 10 or above) are rural counties from the Center's home state of Nebraska, including the two highest county recruitment rates in the nation – that is, proportionately, Grant and Arthur Counties have more of their population join the Army, Army reserves or National Guard than any other counties in the nation.

Nebraska counties among the highest 115 rates in the nation are:

1. Grant
2. Arthur
6. Rock
23. Frontier
40. Wheeler
61. Dawes
70. Holt
88. Madison
99. Phelps
100. Logan
112. Banner

Only Montana with 13 counties had more counties represented in the top 115; South Dakota had 10 counties. Search for your state or county at the Post-Dispatch's online database.

Hat tip: the Center's Jon Bailey