Nebraska
Nebraska exhibits single-actor influence: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway created Omaha's financial cluster while corn and cattle dominate the Ogallala-irrigated plains.
Nebraska is defined by two forces: industrial agriculture and Warren Buffett. Corn, soybeans, and cattle production drive the rural economy, with the Ogallala Aquifer providing irrigation that transforms semi-arid prairie into productive farmland—at least until groundwater depletion forces a reckoning. Union Pacific Railroad, headquartered in Omaha, connects Nebraska to its transportation heritage.
Berkshire Hathaway's presence in Omaha has created an unlikely financial cluster. Buffett's refusal to relocate generated a concentration of investment professionals in a city that wouldn't otherwise attract finance talent. The annual shareholders meeting brings 40,000 visitors, while insurance subsidiaries employ thousands locally. This demonstrates how a single individual's preferences can shape regional economics.
Nebraska's challenge is common to Great Plains states: young people leave for larger metros, and agricultural automation reduces rural employment. Lincoln and Omaha grow while smaller communities decline. The state's fiscal conservatism maintains a rainy-day fund and avoids the pension crises afflicting coastal states, but doesn't address the demographic drain that hollows out the smaller towns dependent on agriculture and the services it supports.