America’s urban population has been growing while rural areas are declining – especially after the great recession. This is not new, as rural decline has been affected by the long-term shift from an agriculturally based economy to a service based economy. However, the preference of many millennials for urban settings exacerbates the issue and reduces the rural community’s ability to replenish the population.

Life in Rural America: A Statistical Portrait presents economic and demographic indicators of the rural population and help users understand the community and geographic differences that rural communities experience. The book will be used as a reference source for data users looking to understand community and geographic differences in the rural component of the nation’s population.