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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Rural areas' population growth slowed from 2000 to 2010, but they became more diverse

America's rural population is declining but many rural areas are becoming more diversified, a new study by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire shows. The rural counties experiencing the most increases in minority populations are in the Mississippi Delta, the Rio Grande region, the Southeast and the northern Great Plains.

Nationwide, the rural population grew only 2.2 million between 2000 and 2010. Minorities represented only 21 percent of the rural census, but accounted for 83 percent of rural population growth. Children are the main contributing factor. The researchers found 356 rural counties have more minority children than non-Hispanic white children and another 178 have between 40 and 50 percent minority youth. (Carsey Institute map)
"While rural America remains less diverse than urban America, minority growth now accounts for most rural population increase, just as it does in urban areas," Kenneth Johnson, senior demographer at Carsey and UNH professor of sociology, said in a news release.

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