Report Finds Rural Communities Growing After 10 Years of Decline

After a decade of declining populations, the “Rural America at a Glance” report from the USDA found rural America saw a minor increase between 2020 and 2022. The .25% population increase means more people migrated to rural areas between 2020 and 2022 than those who moved away or passed away at the same time. As of the time of the report, more than 46 million people live in rural areas.

The USDA report also revealed rural employment has nearly returned to pre-COVID levels. As of 2021, clean energy jobs in rural areas had reached similar numbers to traditional energy jobs, with about 1% of those employed. Finally, the USDA reports the rural employment rate is at its lowest in the last 30 years. Read more about rural population growth here.