The current net worth (IN BILLIONS) is a measure of current assets minus liabilities. In North Dakota, Jamestown propels Stutsman County’s net worth. In South Dakota, Brown County has the greatest wealth among Dakotafire counties; it is distinctive among those counties in that the biggest chunk of its wealth (47 percent) is from the residential sector (much of that in Aberdeen), with 27 percent from agriculture. Forty-eight percent of Beadle's wealth is from agriculture; for other Dakotafire counties, the majority of the wealth (ranging from 63 percent in Day to 91 percent in Faulk) is from the ag sector.

This graph shows when the peak wealth transfer is expected to happen—when the largest chunk (percentage) of wealth in that county is expected to change hands. Notice that for Hand, Jerauld, Marshall, McPherson and Miner counties, the time is now: The largest percentage of funds is already being transferred to the next generation.

The ten-year transfer of wealth (IN MILLIONS) is the amount of money that is slated to go from one generation to another in the next ten years. The counties with more wealth to start with will have more wealth transferring the next ten years.

This chart shows the amount of funds (IN BILLIONS) set to change hands in roughly the next 50 years. The numbers in counties with micropolitan areas are highest, but even predominantly rural counties will see billions of dollars change hands in the next five decades. Since many heirs now live out of the county or state, much of that wealth will leave those counties when the wealth transfers—unless current wealth-holders decide differently.

If just 5 percent of the wealth (IN MILLIONS) being transferred from one generation to the next were set aside for community causes (by giving to a community foundation, for example), this is how much could be put toward an endowment in these Dakotafire counties.

The goal of these foundation endowments (IN MILLIONS) is to create funds that can be a resource for communities forever—so only the interest from the funds would be available for spending, while theprincipal would remain untouched. If 5 percent of the community endowments was available for community projects, this is how much each county would have annually for improvements. Even the county with the lowest projected amount available (Jerauld County) would have half a million dollars to spend on community projects annually (about $562,000).