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<p>Rural women remain underrepresented among the self-employed in the United States, yet their decisions to pursue entrepreneurial ventures play a critical role in local economic vitality. Drawing on the entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) literature, this study examines how community-level factors shape rates of female self-employment—a proxy for rural entrepreneurial action—across 1,618 non-metropolitan United States counties from 2011–2019. We employ a novel cross-sectional dataset linking economic, demographic, financial, and social-capital indicators of rural EEs to reveal how local ecosystem structures may enable or constrain women’s venturing. Results show that women’s self-employment is positively associated with wage-and-salary employment growth—evidence of ‘productive entrepreneurship’ in rural settings—and that key enabling conditions differ by proximity to metropolitan areas. Access to financial services and favorable living environments support women’s self-employment broadly, while childcare availability and social capital are particularly salient in remote rural counties. These findings demonstrate that women engage in both necessity- and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship and are less likely to start ventures when the wage and salary job market is strong. Findings highlight that rural EEs are heterogeneous rather than monolithic. Our study extends EE theory by integrating gendered and spatial perspectives, offering one of the first broad-scale empirical assessments of women’s venturing in rural ecosystems, especially in the Unted States. Policymakers and ecosystem coordinators can leverage these insights to design place-based strategies—improving childcare, financial access, supporting educational attainment, and social connectivity—to support rural women entrepreneurs and foster rural prosperity.&#xa0;</p>

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Perspectives on rural entrepreneurial ecosystems and women’s venturing: an analysis of local factors associated with female self-employment in non-metro U.S. counties

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月13日

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  • Xiaoyin Li,
  • Jason S. Entsminger,
  • Heather M. Stephens

摘要

Rural women remain underrepresented among the self-employed in the United States, yet their decisions to pursue entrepreneurial ventures play a critical role in local economic vitality. Drawing on the entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) literature, this study examines how community-level factors shape rates of female self-employment—a proxy for rural entrepreneurial action—across 1,618 non-metropolitan United States counties from 2011–2019. We employ a novel cross-sectional dataset linking economic, demographic, financial, and social-capital indicators of rural EEs to reveal how local ecosystem structures may enable or constrain women’s venturing. Results show that women’s self-employment is positively associated with wage-and-salary employment growth—evidence of ‘productive entrepreneurship’ in rural settings—and that key enabling conditions differ by proximity to metropolitan areas. Access to financial services and favorable living environments support women’s self-employment broadly, while childcare availability and social capital are particularly salient in remote rural counties. These findings demonstrate that women engage in both necessity- and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship and are less likely to start ventures when the wage and salary job market is strong. Findings highlight that rural EEs are heterogeneous rather than monolithic. Our study extends EE theory by integrating gendered and spatial perspectives, offering one of the first broad-scale empirical assessments of women’s venturing in rural ecosystems, especially in the Unted States. Policymakers and ecosystem coordinators can leverage these insights to design place-based strategies—improving childcare, financial access, supporting educational attainment, and social connectivity—to support rural women entrepreneurs and foster rural prosperity.