The expansive 1st Congressional District is one of the "Top 10" most Republican districts in the country. With its 69 counties, its total area is comparable to the entire state of Illinois, or five-and-a-half times the size of Massachusetts. The agriculture and ranching industries, as well as schools and hospitals, are employment engines for the district's economy. But with an upswing in out-migration and capital flight brought on by the transfer of wealth between generations, rural development remains stagnant.