Constructing a Human Development Index for Georgia's Counties

The purpose of this paper is to construct a Human Development Index (HDI) for each of Georgia's 159 counties. The index includes education, employment, and housing variables. Data are from the 2000 Census collected by the State of Georgia Office of Planning and Budget. Patterned after the work done at the United Nations Development Programme, the HDI focuses on variables important for community development activities. The index can be used for a variety of purposes in examining levels of development throughout Georgia.