The Washington Post recently reportedthat many rural areas are past their prime and peaked long ago. But new data from the US Department of Agriculture contradicts that narrative. Rural areas, for the first time ever, experienced a decline from 2010 to 2014. But The Rural Blog notes, that trend appears to be slowing and possibly reversing.
The population of non-metropolitan counties declined by just 4,000 people from July 2014 to July 2015. That’s according to the latest county population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Rural population usually grows because births outweigh deaths. The Great Recession of 2008 caused economic uncertainty, which led to fewer births. But now that the economy is back on track, rural America is on the rise again. Expect a recovery of population in the coming years.