Here is an oldie but a goodie from 2016:
The Study
The Kansas Population Forecast from the Center for Economic Development and Business Research came out in February 2016 and I have spent time ever since trying to think up the words that I feel about it. In essence the study claims that 50% of the Kansas population will live in the Kansas City and 80% of the total population will live in metro areas by the year 2060.
The study relies on several assumptions, and it is worth noting that many experts are working on this issue, including the Jewell County Community Development team. Recent trends indicate that population figures are starting to plateau in some rural counties, with the possibility of even seeing growth. While the county may not return to its 18,000-person population of 1900, there is still room for growth. The 2016 unemployment rates showed that the average unemployment rate was 3% or less, and studies indicate that about 3% of the population is never looking for work. In other words, we need more skilled individuals to fill the positions currently available in our businesses.
I recently discussed with someone who represents rural telecommunication companies in Kansas. Most of these companies operate in rural areas, and during our conversation, he shared a theory with me. He suggested that the “agricultural revolution” is similar to the Industrial Revolution.
During the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing shifted from being handmade in homes to being mass-produced in factories located primarily in cities. It took some time for rural markets to adapt, but they eventually did to some extent.
Similarly, people did not leave rural areas because they are not good places to live. They started leaving because farming changed. In 1940, one farmer could feed 19 people, whereas in 2010, the same farmer could feed 155 people (Prax, 2010). Instead of ten people working on a farm, one farmer with a modern tractor can do the same job. This decrease in necessary labor is a result of the technological advancements in agriculture.
Two hundred years ago, 90% of the U.S. population lived on farms (animalsmart.org). With the farm crisis of the 1980s and the advancement of technology in agriculture, it has become challenging for rural areas to diversify and find new employment opportunities.
Much like the Industrial Revolution, this “agricultural revolution” has changed how and where people work. It takes time for rural areas to adapt and fill in the gaps in employment opportunities that the “agricultural revolution” created.
Making a Comeback via the Internet?
Working in economic development, we are starting to see signs that rural areas are figuring this out. This is mostly due to the increased availability of high-speed Internet. Right now, our rural areas have better and faster fiber-to-premise Internet than most people in Kansas City with Google Fiber or the East Coast of the United States. As telecommuting opportunities arise from urban employers, remote working becomes more commonplace, and entrepreneurs continue to develop Internet-based businesses the opportunities for rural Kansas also increase. We are already seeing new people move here and our homegrown people return, because of these opportunities. For instance, I know someone who came back to the area and moved his Federal Government job back to work out of his house in a rural Kansas town of 400 people. He was doing that same job in the city but is now able to enjoy life here doing the same thing.
Please find below the revised version of the text with corrected spellings, grammar, and punctuation errors:
People tend to associate rural living with limited opportunities and a lack of modern amenities. However, this is not entirely true. Rural living has its own set of advantages, such as a peaceful environment, a sense of community, and a lower cost of living.
In contrast, urban living is often accompanied by high costs, limited living space, and social problems like crime. These issues are not prevalent in rural areas, which makes rural living a preferable option for many.
To improve the living standards in rural areas, it is essential to focus on infrastructure and housing redevelopment. Programs that aim to bring workforce housing and repair infrastructure in rural communities can be of great help.
Local participation and control of money can be an effective way to implement such programs. In my experience, programs that are designed with rural-centered goals, and allow for local oversight, have proved to be most effective.
Therefore, it is essential to stop assuming about Rural Kansas and other rural areas. Many things have changed in the last thirty years, and rural living is no longer a lost cause.
