Census survey shows 'brain drain' continues in rural states, but there are ways to address it

Holding onto and attracting younger residents can
slow or reverse brain drain. (HiveBoxx photo, Unsplash)

Merriam-Webster's defines brain drain as "the departure of educated or professional people from one country, economic sector, or field for another usually for better pay or living conditions." For rural places, the loss of educated younger residents deeply affects the community's ability to thrive. "New data from the Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey shows many rural states continue to experience brain drain or an outmigration of individuals with a bachelor's or advanced degree," reports Lisa Faust Prater of Successful Farming. The Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska "has been tracking the trend since 2010."

Josie Schafer, director of CPAR, "attributes the outmigration to changing workforce dynamics, including job availability, opportunities, and pay," Prater writes. "Housing is another contributing factor. She says although there are many job openings in the state, 'It is likely they perceive more opportunities elsewhere.' . . . In addition to losing talent, when this segment of the population leaves, they take their taxable income with them."

The survey showed other states, including Wyoming, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, had brain drain dilemmas like Nebraska. But if people were leaving these states, where did they go? Prater reports, "States experiencing brain gain, or a net gain of college graduates, include Montana, Colorado, South Dakota (although only 27), Kansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Florida showed the greatest brain gain."

While solutions to brain drain may seem daunting, some states and local governments have made gains in plugging the losses. Georgia launched a program in high schools called "Building a STEAM Workforce in Rural Georgia" that stated its goal was to "create and replicate high-quality experiential learning opportunities" that encourage younger people to stay by teaching them a local trade or business. Some small towns in Minnesota have had success wooing urban residents by promoting the beauty and mystique "country living" as simpler and more enjoyable. Among websites and articles that address preventing or reversing brain drain, "improve broadband" is a common suggestion.