The rural America death spiral

[Guno צְבִי]

Trump country


Many of the nation's current pathologies are taking a heavy toll on the majority-white population living in rural America, which was severely impacted by the opioid crisis and has dealt with falling populations, job losses and rising suicide rates.

Why it matters: The malaise and discontent that President Trump has tapped into goes beyond the racism we've seen over the past few weeks, and includes anger at a changing world and frustration at dwindling opportunities close to home. These trends are further entrenching the rural-urban schism that came to light in the 2016 election.

The big picture: Political and economic power is shifting to the cities, and 20% of the population — 46 million people — is being left behind in the middle of America. These communities face increasingly difficult barriers to education, wealth and health.


https://www.axios.com/the-rural-america-death-spiral-7c177126-638f-4270-8987-59ab8bf76faa.html

 

[Guno צְבִי]

Let’s say you were born, grew up, and now reside in rural America. Throughout your life, you have been more susceptible to poverty, lower education, illness and even death than your urban counterparts.

As a kid, chances are, you lived further away from a doctor or hospital and got less exercise.
You were more likely to live in a school desert — having to travel long distances to make it to school, if you were able to attend at all. Your school might have shuttered as school consolidation has become more common in many rural areas, as The New York Times reported.
You had a greater likelihood of getting your high school diploma than the national average, but were far less likely to go straight to college than your urban and suburban counterparts, as The Atlantic reported.

If you did graduate with a college degree, you'd likely end up so saddled with student debt that returning to your rural hometown wouldn't be an option if you hoped to get a job that would enable you to pay it off, according to research by the Federal Reserve.
Even if you stay, some of the brightest people you grew up with would leave, contributing to the rural "brain drain."
As an adult, you’re more likely suffer from obesity, mental health issues, diabetes, cancer, and opioid addiction. You are more likely to know people who took their own lives.

Your community's economy still hasn't fully recovered from the 2008 recession, according to Fed data.
As you get older, you are more likely to die from a preventable death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you do make it into old age, you may not have a place to grow old near your friends, family, and the place you called home your whole life.

 

[Guno צְבִי]

2016 was a "demographic anomaly," according to Frey, who says the rural areas that voted for Trump are not likely to have as much impact on future elections. Instead, "it will be demographic subgroups like racial minorities and women who will be more likely to sway things."


Rural areas are overwhelmingly white — only 2.3% of the population in rural counties is foreign-born, compared to nearly 15% in urban counties, according to Census data. Because of this, they continue to struggle to attract immigrants and minorities, who tend to move to urban areas.