Rural Demographic Change in the Pandemic Era

Bibliographic Data

ID21391224
AuthorsK M Johnson (0000-0001-5621-0312, University of New Hampshire, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume91
Issue3
Publication date2026-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueRural Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0036-0112 • E-ISSN: 1549-0831
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/ruso.70058
OpenAlexW7167221774
LanguageEN
References cited15

This research documents nonmetropolitan demographic trends in the era of the COVID pandemic. The rural population grew between 2020 and 2025, in contrast to a population loss between 2010 and 2020. This recent population gain occurred even though rural deaths exceeded births by a substantial margin, due to increased mortality during the pandemic. Deaths exceeded births in 81% of the rural counties, the most in history. The rural population gain was fueled entirely by net migration, which more than offset the natural decline. Migration gains occurred in 65% of the rural counties, far more than in the preceding decade. Population gains were greatest in nonmetro counties adjacent to metro areas and in recreational and retirement destination counties. As the impact of the pandemic finally waned, the nonmetro population gain increased because rural deaths diminished and net migration gains were sustained

Demographic change · Net migration rate · Pandemic · Population · Population growth · Recreation · Rural area · Rural population · Rural settlement · Regional resilience and development · Rural development and sustainability · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies