(Bismarck, ND) — North Dakota’s rural economy is showing contraction across key sectors as the overall index continues to drop. The latest Rural Mainstreet Index shows that the state’s overall index fell from 52-point-two in September to 38-point-seven this month. Declines across the agriculture, employment, and trade sectors were the primary reasons for the significant drop. Farmland prices have also remained below the neutral growth threshold for the 17th time in the past 18 months. Officials say tariffs imposed by President Trump on rival countries have led to setbacks for rural economies nationwide, especially as trade tensions with China continue to escalate.
