The definition of the NOEP Coastal Economy relies on a tiered approach of geography extending inland from the shorelines of the ocean or Great Lakes. These tiers are based on zip code and county boundaries starting with the shore-line and proceeding in an inland direction.

The Coastal Zone

Near-Shore: establishments or population located in a zip code that is immediately adjacent to an ocean, Great Lake, or included river or bay.

Shore-Adjacent Coastal Zone (CZ) Counties: counties touched in whole or in part by a state's coastal zone for purposes of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 as defined by that state and which are adjacent to an ocean, Great Lake, or included river or bay. These includes near-shore zip codes.

Non-shore-Adjacent Coastal Zone (CZ) Counties: counties touched in whole or in part by a state's coastal zone for purposes of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 as defined by that state and which are not adjacent to an ocean, Great Lake, or included river or bay.

Coastal Zone Counties: counties comprised of shore-adjacent plus non-shore adjacent counties. For Illinois, which does not have a Federal Coastal Zone Management program, the coastal zone counties are defined as Cook and Lake counties. Both are shore-adjacent.

The Watershed

Non-CZ Watershed Counties: county that are located outside of the coastal zone, but within a coastal watershed.

Watershed Counties: counties located within a coastal watershed as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey. Watershed counties include all coastal zone counties and upland counties.

Inland

Inland Counties: counties of a coastal state that are located outside of its coastal watershed.