The table below shows the top 100 counties in the U.S. ranked according to the number of active-duty Army recruits in fiscal year 2005.  Recruits according to ZIP code were obtained from the Army through a FOIA request submitted by NPP, and were placed into counties using Claritas data for 2005 purchased by NPP.

The graph below shows the representation of active-duty Army recruits for 2005 according to the median household income of their ZIP code.  (Data are not available for the individual recruit's household income.)  Each bar represents the ratio of two proportions:  the share of total recruits living in ZIP code areas where median household income falls within the specified range over the share of the total youth population living in the ZIP code.  A score of more than one means the income range is over-represented.  A score of less than one means the range is under-represented.  Note that the peak of the bars falls in the range of $30,000 to $59,999.  In other words, neighborhoods with low- to middle-median household incomes are over-represented.  Neighborhoods with high-median household incomes are under-represented.  (The comparable median household income for the U.S. is $47,837.)

The chart below shows the number of active-duty Army recruits per 1000 youth according to urbanity and rurality in 2005.  The Army recruits were put into counties based on each recruit's ZIP code using Claritas data purchased by NPP.  The recruits by counties were then organized into the urban-rural continuum produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Counties with no recruits were excluded. There are nine continuum codes with the first three defining metropolitan counties.  Metro counties include all counties that are part of the Census-defined Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSAs).  There are 280 MSAs in the country accounting for about 85% of the population.  Metro counties are basically urban and suburban areas.  Non-metropolitan (or rural) counties have been displayed on the graph in two bars - non-metro (codes four through seven) and (completely) rural (codes eight and nine).  Completely rural counties have urban populations of fewer than 2,500.  Click here for more details on the rural-urban continuum.

The table below shows the total number of active-duty Army recruits, and the number of recruits per 1000 youth population, for fiscal year 2004 and 2005 for each state.  States are ranked according to recruits per 1000 youth.  Number of recruits and youth population numbers are 2005.  The equivalent 2004 data is available on the NPP Database.

The chart below shows the number of active-duty Army recruits per 1000 youth from the Midwest according to urbanity and rurality in 2005.  The Army recruits from the Midwest were put into counties based on each recruit's ZIP code using Claritas data purchased by NPP.  The recruits by counties were then organized into the urban-rural continuum produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Counties with no recruits were excluded. There are nine continuum codes with the first three defining metropolitan counties.  Metro counties include all counties that are part of the Census-defined Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSAs).  There are 280 MSAs in the country accounting for about 85% of the population.  Metro counties are basically urban and suburban areas.  Non-metropolitan (or rural) counties have been displayed on the graph in two bars - non-metro (codes four through seven) and (completely) rural (codes eight and nine).  Completely rural counties have urban populations of fewer than 2,500.  Click here for more details on the rural-urban continuum.

The table below shows the total number of active-duty military recruits (Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy), and the number of military recruits per 1000 youth for fiscal year 2005 for each state.  States are ranked according to recruits per 1000 youth.  Recruitment data were obtained from the Department of Defense through a FOIA request submitted by NPP.

The chart below shows the number of active-duty Army recruits per 1000 youth from the South according to urbanity and rurality in 2005.  The Army recruits from the South were put into counties based on each recruit's ZIP code using Claritas data purchased by NPP.  The recruits by counties were then organized into the urban-rural continuum produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Counties with no recruits were excluded. There are nine continuum codes with the first three defining metropolitan counties.  Metro counties include all counties that are part of the Census-defined Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSAs).  There are 280 MSAs in the country accounting for about 85% of the population.  Metro counties are basically urban and suburban areas.  Non-metropolitan (or rural) counties have been displayed on the graph in two bars - non-metro (codes four through seven) and (completely) rural (codes eight and nine).  Completely rural counties have urban populations of fewer than 2,500.  Click here for more details on the rural-urban continuum.

The National Priorities Project (NPP) has expanded the NPP Database to feature race and ethnicity data for active-duty Army recruits in 2004, including tables and charts by county, high school, and college, highlighting top locations for recruits.

The table below shows the top 100 counties ranked by the number of
Hispanic, active-duty Army recruits in 2004. Army data were obtained

The table below shows the top 100 counties ranked by the number of
active-duty Army recruits in 2004 (not reserves or National Guard).