Spatial Pattern, Classification, and Influencing Factors of High-Quality County Development in China

The county is the basic territory unit of the national governance system and sustainable development. This study aimed to assess and categorize the high-quality county development in China based on the nation’s imbalanced and inadequate development conditions. By constructing a comprehensive evaluation system for high-quality county development, employing spatial analysis and the natural breakpoint approach, the multiscale spatial pattern of high-quality county development was identified and classified. In addition, the grey relational analysis method was used to measure the influencing factors. According to the evaluation scores for the high-quality county development in this study, the counties could be classified into three categories: (1) rising developed counties; (2) steady developing counties; and (3) underdeveloped counties. Significant spatial differences and agglomeration characteristics exist in high-quality county development in China. Social livelihood has a greater impact on the rising developed countries, and the inappropriate industrial structure and a lack of human capital are the key barriers to steady developing countries. This study could contribute to the improvement in county planning and development and help to understand high-quality county development in China.