Index reveals one in three U.S. counties lacks full-time local news coverage

A new report reveals a significant decline in local journalism across the United States, with more than one-third of the nation’s counties lacking even one full-time local reporter.

The Local Journalist Index, developed by Muck Rack and Rebuild Local News, uses a new measurement called the Local Journalist Equivalent (LJE) to assess reporting presence across the country. Similar to a full-time equivalent metric, the LJE estimates the amount of journalism produced locally in each U.S. county.

According to the data, the national average has dropped from approximately 40 journalists per 100,000 residents in 2000 to just 8.2 LJEs in 2025—a decline of nearly 75 percent.

More than 1,000 counties have fewer than one LJE, impacting 20.6 million residents. Even large metropolitan areas are underrepresented. Los Angeles County, for example, has just 3.6 LJEs per 100,000 people. The Bronx has 2.9.

Some counties with rapidly growing populations, such as Fort Bend County, Texas, and Washington County, Ore., each have about five LJEs per 100,000 residents. Researchers noted that faster-growing areas often suffer from insufficient coverage, as their population growth coincided with the decline of traditional local news business models.

The study found that of the 48 U.S. counties with populations over 1 million, only 14 are above the already-low national average. Nine of the most populous counties have fewer than five LJEs per 100,000 people.

While shortages are widespread, some counties exceed historic levels. Lee County, Miss., for example, has 52.1 LJEs per 100,000 people, supported by the Daily Journal, now operated by a foundation. Jerauld County, S.D., and Hooker County, Neb., also report high LJE ratios thanks to continued investment in community news.

State-level disparities also exist. Vermont ranks highest with 27.5 LJEs per 100,000 residents. At the other end, states like New Jersey and Maryland fall well below average, affected by their proximity to major media markets.

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The findings are based on articles published online during the first quarter of 2025 and include work by print, digital and broadcast journalists where content appeared online with bylines. The study excludes outlets without a web presence, as well as non-bylined or syndicated work, limiting some coverage representation.

Muck Rack’s dataset drew on more than 100,000 journalists and millions of online articles to map journalist presence by county. The analysis includes partial credit for non-bylined staff connected to local outlets.

The study’s authors emphasized that the lack of local coverage leaves residents without reliable reporting on school boards, city councils, local elections and other civic matters, regardless of whether they live in rural communities or urban neighborhoods.