Population Growth Continues In Rural America

Earlier this week, USDA released the latest edition of its Rural America at a Glance report.

“We have population growth based on people moving in as opposed to moving out or being born or dying," said ERS economist Tracey Farrigan.

She noted that year-over-year rural population increase continues a trend that began in 2021.

“We've had a substantial increase in population based on net migration and recreation-based economies, which we know happened quite a bit during the pandemic, but that has continued in every year since pandemic as well,” Farrigan said.

The 2025 report also suggests non-metro areas have rebounded from the pandemic era economy, with poverty and employment rates reaching pre-pandemic levels in both 2023 and 2024.

Click Here to read the entire Rural America at a Glance report, which includes household media income stats, and additional economic data.  USDA has conducted the Rural America at a Glance for nearly a quarter of a century, focusing on social and economic conditions nationwide.

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