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Some move out. Others move in. Adaptations are successfully made.

by Dick Senese

Editor’s note: The following editorial ran last fall in the (Minneapolis-St. Paul) Star Tribune. It is reprinted here with permission from the author. Although he was speaking about Minnesota, his own state, the general sentiments he expresses can apply to other states and their rural areas. The author describes the interdependence of rural and urban economies in a state and advocates for a change in thinking—as well as speaking and doing—that would recognize the contributions of rural areas.

Another constitutionally required decennial census has been conducted, and we will begin to hear lamentations about rural population decline, aging population and young people leaving rural areas.

The fundamental shifts contributing to these trends affect all of Minnesota, requiring residents and community leaders to rethink the future. Framing rural changes only as decline, however, leads to a false narrative that misses the nuance and vitality of rural communities and contributes to an already divisive civic dialogue.

Brain gain

Yes, young people move from rural areas in search of opportunity. Reading the standard narrative, though, creates the impression that people move in only one direction. People do, however, move into rural communities.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Extension’s Center for Community Vitality found that 91 percent of Minnesota’s 67 rural counties experienced a gain in residents aged 30 to 44 from 1990 to 2000, and 97 percent of these counties saw an increase in children aged 10 to 14.

These newcomers bring children. Fifty-seven percent of newcomers had not lived in the area previously. The rest are “coming home.” Analysis of 2010 census data shows these trends continuing, though slowed.

Newcomers also bring an entrepreneurial spirit and educational attainment. In one five-county area of the state, almost 25 percent of newcomers operate businesses, introducing nearly $4 million into the economy. Other studies show that more than 68 percent of newcomers hold bachelor’s degrees or higher.

People are moving their lives and families to rural communities, contributing to the vitality and health of these communities, schools and our entire state.

Economic interdependence

Urban areas are portrayed as only economic benefactors, and not beneficiaries, of rural areas. Recently, faculty from the University of Minnesota’s Department of Applied Economics examined the benefit flowing from the rural economy to the urban economy. This research showed inextricable links between urban and rural economies.

In a nutshell, manufacturing brings roughly $31.5 billion to Minnesota’s economy, and 47 percent of that activity occurs in rural Minnesota.

If there were a shift, up or down, of $1 billion in manufacturing revenue in rural Minnesota, urban areas would experience a gain or loss of $200 million in economic activity and more than 1,000 urban jobs. Similar linkages exist in other sectors.

In short, all of Minnesota does better when all of Minnesota does better.

Local leadership and action

Rural areas and leaders are finding winning solutions for their future at the local level rather than waiting for the future to happen to them. For this, local leadership and civic action matters -- a whole lot.

• In northwest Minnesota, one city council created senior housing and made it available to newcomers. It also facilitated the sale of a hardware store to a new resident.
• A community that was having trouble filling nursing assistant positions revamped its English-language community education program, teaching both language and job skills that guaranteed employees and employment to new residents.
• In another Minnesota community, leaders didn’t settle for the availability of broadband. They brought in workshops to help business owners use it. As a result, one local artisan began advertising online and ultimately hired a new employee to keep up with demand. Similarly, bookings at a resort went up 25 percent after it started advertising on Twitter.

Communities are improving their visual image to attract visitors and residents; they are helping immigrants create minority-owned businesses; they are working with nearby communities to create a more robust regional economy.

There are countless examples of rural communities creating their own future. Anyone who cares about their community ought to be inspired by their leadership.

One Minnesota

Minnesota is a tightly woven fabric of economies, people and landscapes. Yes, rural Minnesota’s population is aging; fewer people live there; young adults leave. In this, rural communities are similar to some urban areas and neighborhoods.

By better understanding the complexity of trends, we can avoid simplistic and polarizing frameworks about any area of Minnesota and encourage local leaders. Our state’s future depends on thoughtful reflection on the vital connections that bind us and actions that strengthen those connections.

Senese is associate dean for community vitality and public engagement at University of Minnesota Extension.

[sidebar]

Minnesotans in 30s and 40s moving to rural areas

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (U of M Extension)—Rural Minnesota continued to attract new residents aged 30 to 49 between 2000 and 2010, according to a new study of U.S. Census data from University of Minnesota Extension.

The news that people are moving into rural areas may seem counterintuitive, especially when headlines and book titles proclaim a “brain drain” and the supposed demise of rural America when 18- to 25-year-olds leave. But, according to Ben Winchester, University of Minnesota Extension rural sociologist and author of the study, the rural in-migration of 30- to 49-year-olds who bring with them educational achievements and established earning power creates a “brain gain” for these rural areas.

“It’s the rule that young people move to pursue educational and career goals, not the exception,” said Winchester. “Instead of labeling that loss as ‘doom and gloom’ for rural, I’ve examined the population trends more deeply. Acknowledging the brain gain allows rural places to focus on their strengths and opportunities, which is the work of any community striving for a brighter future.”

In the new report, “Continuing the Trend: The Brain Gain of the Newcomers,” Winchester updates Minnesota’s population shifts as captured by the 2010 Census and provides an examination of the trend at the national level.

The study shows that a brain gain has continued in the 30 to 49 age group across the rural Midwest, but at a slower pace than was found from 1990 to 2000. External forces such as housing debt and the Great Recession slowed overall migration rates, according to Winchester.

Recent University of Minnesota Extension research on 30- to 49-year-olds shows they are choosing rural areas for a higher quality of life, specifically citing a slower pace, the low cost of housing, and safety and security. A study of 99 newcomer households in west central Minnesota showed that the average newcomer household contributed $92,000 in economic activity to the region in 2009 and 2010.

“In rural areas, little changes make a big difference,” Winchester said. “And these numbers certainly change the story.”

To access the study (PDF), visit www.extension.umn.edu/go/1107