North Carolina Urbanization and Rural Flight

Joe Gregorio

The rural areas of North Carolina are emptying out.

North Carolina County Population vs Count Population Growth Rate (2010 - 2014).
Click on the graph to toggle between population density and county population.

North Carolina is not immune to Rural Flight, nor is it a special victim, as the phenomenon is happening world wide. Countrysides around the world are emptying out.

It's important to keep these broader patterns in mind, first so you don't go blaming random local events that look like correlation:



And from the same article:



But also so that when trying to formulate policy we temper trying to stop rural flight, which is probably impossible, with programs to help with relocation and the humane winding down of rural towns, because the alternatives are pretty grim. And yes, let me state explicitly what I'm implying above, which is that people might have to move. Just like companies are not owed a business model, people aren't owed the job of their choice brought to their doorstop. But what should also be acknowledged is that moving for the poor is incredibly difficult and that any solutions proposed should address that gap.

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