In China,the economic systems of many small-scale resource-based regions are confronted with realizing sustainable development through economic transformation. This paper,taking 37 coal-resource-based counties in China as objects,evaluates the economic transformation capacities of the counties by principal component analysis (PCA). Based on the comprehensive principal component values of >1,0–1 and <0,the economic transformation capacities of the counties are classified into strong,common and weak grades. Then,the paper proposes the developmental countermeasures according to different transformation capacities. For the counties with strong transformation capacities,it is crucial to make scientific positioning and rationally exploite resources in view of the developing characteristics and modes of those counties; as for the counties with common transformation capacities,the preparation and perfection of basic transformation conditions are still important aspects; as for the counties with weak transformation capacities,shifting from ″passive transfromation″ to ″active transformation″ in light of resources conditions is necessary. In China, the economic systems of many small-scale resource-based regions are confronted with exploring sustainable development through economic transformation. This paper, taking 37 coal-resource-based counties in China as objects, evaluates the economic transformation capacities of the counties by principal component analysis (PCA). Based on the comprehensive principal component values ​​of> 1, 0-1 and <0, the economic transformation capacities of the counties are classified into strong, common and weak grades. Then, the paper proposes the developmental countermeasures for the counties with strong transformation capacities, it is crucial to make scientific positioning and rationally exploite resources in view of the developing characteristics and modes of those counties; as for the counties with common transformation capacities, the preparation and perfection of basic transformation conditions are still important aspects; as for the counties w ith weak transformation capacities, shifting from “passive transfromation” to “active transformation” in light of resources conditions is necessary.