general poverty rate is a gross measure of social stratification that indicates the extent of poverty within a county or local area (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). The greater the concentration of poverty (e.g., a higher percentage of a given population in poverty) the less likely it is that the population has the resources necessary to adapt to ecological and socioeconomic changes. Such increased social stratification, then, is related to a reduced ability to sustain counties. A lower capacity to adapt to changes implies a lower level of sustainability.