This is the FRED Blog’s 300th post, a great opportunity to check out Sparta. Unfortunately, FRED’s coverage does not include classical antiquity, but it has a lot of regional U.S. data, including 153 series pertaining to Spartanburg County, one of the larger counties in South Carolina, and the Spartanburg MSA. As the graph above shows, the county seems to have gone through some rough times but is rebounding now: While the population has been steadily increasing, the labor force went through two pronounced slumps and is now on the upswing. The graph below shows some other indicators for Spartanburg County, this time related to poverty. The picture there is mixed. While the number of people in poverty and the number of those receiving food stamps seem to be increasing, the proportion of people with a credit score below 660 (considered subprime) seems to be decreasing.

How these graphs were created: Search for “Sparta” or “Spartanburg,” check the series you want displayed, and click “Add to Graph.” In cases where the units mismatch and some series aren’t visible because of a large disparity, put their units on the right axis: Click “Edit Graph,” open the “Format” tab, and switch the axes.

Suggested by Christian Zimmermann.