Policymakers need to be aware of and be willing to confront these issues. But let me be clear: I am optimistic about the future of rural America. The narrative of rural decline is too sweeping and brushes aside the diversity of the rural experience.
Just as many cities thrive while others struggle, there are deteriorating rural communities and rural communities that are thriving and growing. So let’s build on these successes and highlight a few of the positives. Following six years of steady population losses, up through 2016, the rural population appears to have stabilized.