There is a deepening sense of fear as population loss accelerates in rural America. The decline of small-town life is expected to be a looming topic in the presidential election.
…
America’s rural population began contracting about a decade ago, according to statistics drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau.
A whopping 81 percent of rural counties had more deaths than births between 2019 and 2023, according to an analysis by a University of New Hampshire demographer. Experts who study the phenomena say the shrinking baby boomer population and younger residents having smaller families and moving elsewhere for jobs are fueling the trend.
According to a recent Agriculture Department estimate, the rural population did rebound by 0.25 percent from 2020 to 2022 as some families decamped from urban areas during the pandemic.
But demographers say they are still evaluating whether that trend will continue, and if so, where. Pennsylvania has been particularly afflicted. Job losses in the manufacturing and energy industries that began in the 1980s prompted many younger families to relocate to Sun Belt states. The relocations helped fuel population surges in places like Texas and Georgia. But here, two-thirds of the state’s 67 counties have experienced a drop in population in recent years.
This rural Pennsylvania town could get a huge population boom if they had a “we welcome queer people and migrants and we don’t tolerate hate” policy they announced to the world.
But of course, that’s way too far for them.
I don’t think rural towns are depopulating due to hate or discrimination… it’s mostly because of job prospects, no?
Obviously my own experience is entirely anecdotal, but I think relevant to the point. I work 100% remotely, I just need a decent Internet connection. I currently live in a moderately sized city, and keeping up with the finances can be a struggle compared to the lower cost of rural living. However, I’m also a gay man, pro choice, I don’t care what two or more consenting adults do in the privacy of their home, etc. etc. etc. with all the usual liberal stuff.
The job prospects aren’t why I left the rural southeastern US, and they aren’t the reason I’ll never go back there.
These people were warned about the brain drain their bullshit would cause. I have no sympathy for them or their towns’ dwindling tax revenues.
So they can put what drugs they want in their own body?
Oh, never mind.
I ONLY want Adults to put FDA Bribed drugs in their bodies!
Were about to move to a smaller but more queer friendly town for this exact reason. My city seems indifferent at best, and I’d like to live somewhere that actually likes us.
We’re DINKs, we pay taxes, were good neighbors pretty much any way you look at it, but were visibly queer & barely feel tolerated here.
In what state is this ‘smaller but more queer friendly town?’ Because I’m guessing it’s not rural PA.
Its not haha, its Bloomington IN. I cannot believe how queer that lil town is, its amazing
Really? I grew up there. Seriously. Born in Bloomington Hospital, went to BDLC, then Bloomington Montessori, then Batchelor Middle School, then BHS South (graduated in '95), then IU (dropped out because I’m a dummy). My mom still lives there, as do a ton of my friends.
It is definitely more queer friendly than a lot of towns, but you go over to the west side of town, a place like Highland Village, and you walk down the street holding hands with your boyfriend, you’ll probably still get harassed at the very least.
There’s still a ton of redneck townies there.
That said, I have the misfortune of living in Terre Haute and we’re planning to retire in Bloomington (unless Trump wins, in which case we’re using my dual citizenship to get the fuck out of here) and my daughter is queer, so I’m glad we’ll be retiring in a place where she can basically feel safe.
What floors me is that Terre Haute got a Pride Center and had its first Pride celebration after fucking Spencer.
Well to be clear were in Ohio now, so my standards for ‘queer/trans friendly’ arent high, but the area we hang out in has been nicer than our current place, more affordable, everything we want.
Its no west Hollywood haha but its a start
Please don’t tell me you are in Chillicothe, because I was there for a while too. (And North Hollywood rather than West, which is on the other side of a mountain range).
Further south, right on the KY border
It suuuuuuuuucks
Chillicothe sucked too. One bar and it was all country music and cowboy hats. Dudes, you’re in fucking Ohio.
Really? That’s your go-to glib answer? No discussion about education opportunities or job prospects? No question about why the downturn was really noted in 2014? Just immediately jumping to the conclusion that rural people MUST be hateful?
Disappointing.