For decades, rural America has been portrayed as a place in decline—a region where young people leave, opportunities dwindle, and communities slowly fade away.
Benjamin Winchester, a rural sociologist with the Department of Community Development at the University of Minnesota Extension, challenges these negative perceptions of rural communities in his work. In a recent CTS webinar, “Living in the Middle of Everywhere,” Winchester walked through research that shows how the common portrayal of rural communities overlooks the growing and often underappreciated reality that these areas are actually experiencing a resurgence.
“Why the rural narrative is important, because if you truly believe that rural communities are dying, nobody is going to invest in that,” Winchester said. “Why would they spend any money on any infrastructure for small towns if we’re just waiting for them to wither up and die?”
Watch the recording of the webinar
One of the most persistent misconceptions is that rural communities are "dying" because young people leave for education or career opportunities. While it’s true that many high school graduates move away, Winchester’s research reveals that people in their 30s and 40s are moving back, seeking a simpler lifestyle, affordable housing, and a sense of security. This influx challenges the idea that rural areas are emptying out.
Many rural residents (as well as urban and suburban residents) no longer live, work, and socialize entirely within one community. Winchester shared recent data that show only 48 percent of Minnesotans work in the same county they live in, with longer commutes across county lines becoming the norm.
“People are not just picking a town and moving to it. They are picking a triangular region and then exploring within that region,” Winchester said. “No town is a one-stop shop.”
This has led to a shift in how people engage with their communities, Winchester explained. Historically, involvement was rooted locally, with people participating in multiple aspects of town life. Now, rural residents often choose livelihoods and activities that extend across a larger geographic region.
To illustrate this shift, Winchester demonstrated an exercise in which participants map where they live, work, shop, and recreate—highlighting the broad area in which they engage. The results show that people’s lives span multiple counties and areas, with their personal regions of activity expanding throughout their 40s and 50s before contracting in their later years. The scope of rural life is no longer limited by city or county borders, Winchester said, making the understanding of transportation and travel patterns—and traditional ways of planning and organizing communities—outdated.
According to Winchester, one key takeaway from this exercise is that understanding the preferences of different age groups is vital for rural development. By recognizing what attracts people at different life stages—whether it’s job opportunities, recreation, or a sense of community—rural areas can build on their strengths to both retain and draw in residents.
—Emma McIntyre, CTS Communications intern
