If my ancestors lived in a declining rust belt location, they would move to where greater prosperity might be found.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_unemployment_rateColorado, Hawaii, So. Dakota, No. Dakota, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Utah, Nebraska, Iowa have lowest unemployment rates as of April 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_population_growth_rateWash. DC, No. Dakota, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Idaho, So. Carolina have the highest percentage rates of population growth
http://www.usa.com/rank/us--median-age--state-rank.htmShows Utah to have the youngest median age of the population, followed by Texas, Wash. DC, Alaska, Idaho, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Arizona, Kansas
An enterprising, talented young person might use their intellectual and education quantitative gifts to integrate the above-mentioned data, and pick some places which held the best potential.
States on two or more of those lists: Utah, Texas, Colorado, So. Dakota, No. Dakota, Arizona, Idaho