The Rural Livability Project

Make an Impact

Community Economic Analysis

January 28, 2024
Downtown Platteville, Wisconsin on a bright, sunny day with brick red buildings and a blue sky filled with clouds.

What makes one community livable, may not be the same for another. CEA is a program that helps communities evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of their own community across livability metrics and create a tailored path forward

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Read our latest news and updates
In the news: “The Wobbly Infrastructure Behind Aging in Rural Communities” in Shelterforce
Shelterforce interviewed ​Erin Gaede about rural housing challenges for older adults. The article highlights findings from the Rural Livability Project, showing how housing costs, deteriorating…
In the News: Rural Livability Research Featured in News Works Lab
News Works Lab interviewed Erin Gaede about her research on private equity firms buying up rural manufactured homes. Read the feature here!
New Publication: “Some Rural Residents are Trading Nutrition for Shelter” in the Daily Yonder
Erin Gaede, Yang Cheng, and Tessa Conroy wrote an article for the Daily Yonder based on their research about the impact of housing financial stress…