Many rural towns in USA are dying ??

D

davey

Senior Member
Location
Ozzieland
Was doing some browsing over the w/end and accidentally came across amateur sleuthes who are travelling throughout rural usa towns and intereviewing the remaining residents and describing the decay and decline of local industries large and small. I just hadn't realized the problem was so large and expansive throughout the usa. I counted town rural townships and areas and still counting. Just go to Utube and select a state and area. Are these exagerrated presentations by cranks or the truth of rural life today?
 

Whether dying or thriving- that all has to do with the local economy and resources. Our rural town here is growing, the utility companies have be heavily investing in not only maintenance but upgrading the infrastructure of electric, internet and wireless data. Businesses are expanding, new business is coming to town. I just wish we could get a Trader Joe's. ;)
 
This town of 29K is doing better than most.
A lot of it has to do with an Army Post in the same county and the associated government contracts.
Plus there are tons of military retirees here.
But there are other industries as well and new stores are opening. We now have a Publix and Aldi is building.

One thing that shocked me though, was driving through rural areas and noticing the vast number of mobile homes.
Old farm houses and conventional homes are disappearing. Folks aren't building new homes in rural areas much it seems, unless they commute to more populated areas for work.
 

The town I live in hasn't really changed much that I can tell. It hasn't grown or reduced as far as I can see. But I like it that way. It keeps the small town community feel.
As for other towns that are dependent on a certain industry, and it dries up, I think they need someone to grab the reins, and think outside the box to bring in new people and industry. I think a leader with ambition and creativity can overcome great odds. Just my opinion.
 
My small town has always seemed to have a population between 2-3 thousand, always since 1838. Stores and businesses have come and gone over the years. But as long as you have access to a car, which I do, there's no problem since most people in town work and shop outside of town.
 
No decline in our area or surrounding counties for the rural communities (unincorporated townships, villages & small cities). Others are steady, while some have grown. I noticed quite a few new houses being built on acreage in the two counties north of me.

@Naturally, I've notice the mobile homes that had been out in the country being torn down. They haven't really been very popular in our area outside of a dedicated trailer park. Even those are fewer in number than when I was a kid.

@davey, the news talks all the time about the big cities & some states loosing population due to high taxes & crime.
 
As far as I can tell from my area, state, and my own three small towns I call home, the reports you saw "while browsing" were innacurate, @davey . Small towns near me are thriving (after the global problem of pandemic woes started easing) so no, not "dying" at all.
 
Small town America is responsible for the opioid problem. If small town America is anything like that song; good.

Lived in small towns in Wisconsin. Backwards and regressive and at that time Wisconsin progressive.

Listening from inside ladies room women gossiping about my husband "I can't believe he's with that Jew from NY!" Remember being relieved they didn't say "Fat Jew from NY." I wasn't fat, but we girls have been taught things about body image, so...........

A day in Walterboro SC was one day too much.

Small towns, small minds flourish. IMO. Sure thats true anywhere, saw evidence in several European countries.
 
small town, 20 years ago we had just over 1000 people, today we have jsut over 1000 people. I live in the country near by and our township has grown. good people, perfect no, but a great town.
 
The kids in small towns have nothing to do and nowhere to go so they drink, drive and use drugs more than any city kids I've ever met and start earlier too. They are bored stiff. May be idyllic for seniors, but not for most youth, not in my experience, no way. Never saw drug usage more in kids than in small towns.
 
I doubt that applies to all rural towns, or big cities for that matter. Things change and people move to where they can make money. My small town in Montana experienced a setback when the world's largest pine mill ran out of resources at the same time as the local asbestos mine shut down. That was devastating for a town of 2,000, but the town has survived although school enrollment dropped drastically because young couples are not moving in to work in the mills. But retirees seem to be moving in our just hanging on. A McDonalds came to town, and a Pizza Hut.

Where I live right now in Virginia had already died before I got here. Although it never really was a town and still is not. It's just a spot on the map, with a 45mph zone on the highway that passes by a post office and a gas station. And Dollar General just came in a year ago. So between me and Dollar General, the town is experiencing a veritable boom that is bringing the place back to life, although I'm 4 miles outside of all the hustle and bustle. I saw a bear yesterday, so there is some stuff going on.
 
I’m reminded of the lyrics to Simon and Garfunkel’s song, My Little Town:

My Little Town
Song by Simon & Garfunkel


In my little town
I grew up believing
God keeps his eye on us all
And he used to lean upon me
As I pledged allegiance to the wall
Lord, I recall my little town
Coming home after school
Flying my bike past the gates of the factories
My mom doing the laundry
Hanging out shirts in the dirty breeze
And after it rains there's a rainbow
And all of the colors are black
It's not that the colors aren't there
It's just imagination they lack
Everything's the same back in my little town
My little town, my little town
Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town
Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town
In my little town
I never meant nothing, I was just my father's son, hmm-hmm
Saving my money
Dreamin' of glory
Twitching like a finger on a trigger of a gun
Really nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town
Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town
Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town
Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town
Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town
 
Population about 182 No grocery, gas, or convenience store. Not even a bar. Local phone company office and Ag chemical and seed supply. More of the houses are occupied by renters. When a house does sell usually to someone's family member. Dying, slowly but surly. Some other towns around here about the same population are doing a little better, but should there be several years of crop failures who knows.
 
What I'm seeing around Texas ..... with the population growth, what was once small towns are now small cities ... and/or suburbs of larger cities.
Dying ?... I don't see it.

Even the small country town in Ohio that I grew up in, is 5 times the size it was when I lived there.
 
Let's define rural for starters:
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are described as rural.

Me thinks these "sleuths" don't know what they're talking about.
 
davey said:
Was doing some browsing over the w/end and accidentally came across amateur sleuthes who are travelling throughout rural usa towns and intereviewing the remaining residents and describing the decay and decline of local industries large and small. I just hadn't realized the problem was so large and expansive throughout the usa. I counted town rural townships and areas and still counting. Just go to Utube and select a state and area. Are these exagerrated presentations by cranks or the truth of rural life today?
Click to expand...
I started watching the one about Missouri. It seemed that some towns are doing OK, and some are not. So I got curious about the OP question. Quora has a new feature. It has a AI generated question "expert". So I asked it...

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Assistant
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AI bot
BETA
An AI bot writing helpful answers

Why are rural towns in America dying?

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Assistant
Rural towns in America have been facing a variety of challenges in recent years, which have contributed to a decline in population and economic activity. Some of the main factors include:
  • Decline in agricultural and manufacturing industries: Many rural towns have traditionally relied on these industries as the main source of jobs and economic activity. However, with the rise of automation and globalization, many of these jobs have been lost, leaving many rural residents without a steady source of income.
  • Lack of access to healthcare and other services: Many rural towns are located far from major cities and lack access to basic services like healthcare, education, and transportation. This can make it difficult for residents to access the services they need, and can also make it difficult to attract new businesses and residents to the area.

    • Outmigration: With few job opportunities and limited access to services, many young people in rural towns have been leaving for larger cities in search of better opportunities. This has led to a decline in population and a lack of new businesses and services in the area.
    • Overall, these factors have led to a decline in population and economic activity in many rural towns, making it difficult for these communities to survive and thrive. However, there are also efforts underway to revitalize these towns, such as through the development of new businesses and services, and through the promotion of sustainable industries like renewable energy and eco-tourism.
  • https://www.quora.com/Why-are-rural-towns-in-America-dying
 
One thing you don’t want to open in a small town is a coffee shop. I have seen a number of them come and go in the small town nearby. Seems rural folks would rather drink their coffee at home. Fresh made donuts is another thing - the one and only bakery does alright. Maybe they buy the donuts and then take them home to have with their home made coffee.
 
Dying? Some maybe but where I live most commute 50 to 60 miles to the city to work. Many move here for the slower pace, and the good schools, some young people do move to the city after their education but later in life move back here, the price of land and existing homes is through the roof.
 
The two very small towns here, I grew up in an unincorporated town and now live near a small village. These were doing well during the timber and railroad days, then died out. Farming and big families got them going again, only to die out again with the small farms shutting down and children moving away. Most work in the small cities nearby and do their business there.
 
I grew up In the 1960's in a small town in rural Iowa population was about 10,000 people. It was a great town to grow up in. There was a small college, about 3,000 students, that provided some amount of college culture and sports to the community. It also brought a lot of cash to local businesses. At the time there were somewhere around 20 manufacturing plants. Jobs were plentiful and businesses were thriving. There was the typical town square where there were weekly concerts in the Sumner and many businesses in the downtown area.

Fast forward to today, my small hometown still maintains a population of about 10,000 but most everything else has changed. The local college went bust. Most of the factories are closed, primarily do to outsourcing to foreign countries. There is nothing to keep the younger folks in the area so the average age of residents seems to have increased significantly. The local theater closed years ago. The local stores around the town square are all out of business replaced by second hand stores and other specialty type stores that will not last long. Now about the only place to shop is at Wal-Mart or online. The only people that stay are the ones that are tied to their farms. Most all other young people must leave to find decent career opportunities.

I would not want to live in my hometown now. Sad, but that is the reality for many rural small towns.
 
Pepper said:
Small town America is responsible for the opioid problem.
Click to expand...
mmm, that's a bit of a broad brush eh? Our small town does have a thriving Meth habit though. Back in the 90s here there was a Meth lab bust every week it seemed. From what I gather(watching Breaking Bad) Meth is manufactured in super-labs in Mexico.
There are some big illegal pot farms in the area, they tap into the water supply and steal the water, also helps to avoid detection in bypassing the water meter.
 
Nathan said:
mmm, that's a bit of a broad brush eh? Our small town does have a thriving Meth habit though. Back in the 90s here there was a Meth lab bust every week it seemed. From what I gather(watching Breaking Bad) Meth is manufactured in super-labs in Mexico.
There are some big illegal pot farms in the area, they tap into the water supply and steal the water, also helps to avoid detection in bypassing the water meter.
Click to expand...
No, I don't think it is.
 

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