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Income convergence and both endogenous and exogenous factors causing income growth in the southeastern United States were examined by using county level census data between 1980 and 2000. The study found that spatial variations in education, employment, and industries concentrations were strongly related with income convergence in the region.

County-level data for 11 southern states for 1980 and 2000 are used to examine income convergence. Ordinary least squares regression of logarithmic difference on average per capita income in 1980 demonstrated conditional income convergence with higher income changes in counties with smaller initial populations, smaller changes in African Americans, employment, education, age structure, travel time to work, or dependent age populations. The estimated rate of income convergence was 3.82% per year.

Urban sprawl and rural rebound are major foci of recent regional economic studies. Using 1980 and 2000 Census data from 11 southern states, binary logit regressions of population changes in rural-and-metropolitan counties and Black Belt-and-non-Black Belt counties reveal education, poverty, employment, and age differences are related to population changes.