Rural Demographic Change in the Pandemic Era

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21391224
AutoresK M Johnson (0000-0001-5621-0312, University of New Hampshire, autor de correspondencia)
Año2026
Volumen91
Número3
Fecha de publicación2026-09-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaRural Sociology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0036-0112 • E-ISSN: 1549-0831
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/ruso.70058
OpenAlexW7167221774
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas15

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