J. Kirby Snideman, ACIP
CDS Community Development Strategies

While many demographic trends in America ebb and flow, there are a few that remain constant. One important trend: America is becoming less rural. In the past, both rural and urban areas have grown—urban growth just far surpassed rural growth. Recently, however, non-metro areas in the U.S. have seen the first overall population decrease since these numbers were tracked.

​A look at the Numbers
​In 1900, the U.S. urban population was just over 30 million while the rural population was just shy of 46 million. The split was 39.6% urban and 60.4% rural. By 2010, the urban share increased to 80.7% while the rural share shrank to 19.3%. For some states, like Texas, this reverse was even more drastic, going from 82.9% rural to 15.3% over the same time. 

While the share of rural residents in America has decreased significantly, the number of residents has actually increased… but only slightly. In comparison, the number of residents considered urban has increased exponentially. Put another way, nearly all the growth in this country has been urban.

Steve Spillette
CDS Community Development Strategies

Does your community have a historic downtown that seems to be neglected? Despite the local history, interesting architecture, and walkable streets, many businesses locate elsewhere. On the surface, it can sometimes feel like a hopeless situation. But many small communities are discovering what works in big cities can work in their little towns, too.

A Little History
The heritage and charm of historic downtowns weren’t enough to sustain economic activity in many small places as economic conditions and consumer preferences changed over time. For many communities, this trend accelerated during the 1960s. Many local businesses were driven under by national chains. Occupants moved out. Rents declined. Eventually, building owners lost the revenue and/or the interest in keeping their properties up to date and in good condition. Sadly, many otherwise attractive buildings fell into disrepair and vacancy.

Every big city was once little. But why do so many small towns never really grow? Here are six common reasons why some small places stay that way. While most little towns cannot affect the first two, the last four might represent an opportunity for growth... if they can be corrected.

1) The times they are a changin’.
There are historical reasons cities are located where they are and sometimes the original location factors no longer exist or at least are not relevant.  When highways replaced railroads as the primary means of access some small cities became less of a destination and more of a self-contained community.  Typically, new highways intentionally bypass commercial areas to avoid stop lights and congestion.  Over time key industries/employers can dry up or even shut down and the demand for historically mainstay agricultural crops may diminish.  Replacing these employers or products can be slow if not impossible.  

Last Thursday, Walmart ended its Walmart Express concept, shuttering all 102 such stores. Walmart announced earlier in January that they planned to close several underperforming stores across all of their formats, but it was the entirety of Walmart Express that made up the bulk of the planned closures. Despite that fact, the Walmart Express format meets a relatively quiet end, as discussion of Walmart store closures as an economic indicator largely drowned out discussion of the Express format itself. It is a format that deserves some further examination.