Almost 1/4 of counties had fewer births than deaths in 2010, and 90 percent of those counties are rural

Almost one-fourth of U.S. counties had more deaths than births last year, and 90 percent of those counties were rural, says a researcher at the University of New Hampshire. "And, for the first time in U.S. history, deaths now exceed births in an entire state," West Virginia, said Kenneth Johnson, senior demographer with the university's Carsey Institute.

These are more than demographic trends, Johnson says, with "implications that reach far beyond demography to institutions that are the bedrock of communities." For example, "The viability of local schools becomes precarious as the student and parent populations diminish. ... And, the needs of families and children may get less attention in the political arena than those of the growing senior population." For Johnson's full report, click here. For the press release from Carsey, go here.