The Future of Rural Small Towns: Are They Obsolete in Post-Industrial Society?

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the future of rural small towns. There is evidence that the flow of migration from rural areas to cities has reversed, and that rural counties are at present growing faster than metropolitan counties. Some of the reasons, at least in retrospect, are clear: the exodus of farm families has gone about as far as it could go; birthrates fell faster in metropolitan counties than in rural areas, a predictable culture lag; and much of the apparent reversal consists of suburban sprawl developers moving just beyond the metropolitan fringe in search of cheaper land. The primary (extractive) industries, however, have greatly declined in relative importance in the national economy. Transportation systems, because the middle of the century, have become more and more oriented toward long-haul and high-density service. Railroads have almost abandoned passenger service, and much of their freight carriage has been taken over by trucks. A close look at the economic and social dynamics affecting population distribution in America leads to the conclusion that rural small towns are generally well integrated into the larger society.