home

The Graying of Rural America

Nationally, the number and proportion of elderly in the population is rising inexorably, and will peak as the baby boomers enter the retirement ranks after AD 2010. There are currently more than 31 million persons who are age 65 or older in the United States. Depending on the definition of "rural," between one-fourth and one-third of this aging population live in rural settings. It's important to note that there are regional differences in the proportion of the population that is elderly: 17.1% of the total population in all-rural, non-metropolitan counties in the north-central states are elderly, whereas the proportions are substantially lower in the northeastern region (14.9%), the southern region (13.2%) and the western region (10.6%). The most dramatic differences can be found between the proportion of elders in rural Kansas (19.7%) and rural Alaska (4.1%).

These regional differences in older populations could help to explain the economic decline experienced in the Midwest in the 1980s. As Osha Gray Davidson (1990) points out her book, Broken Heartland, when a town's population mix shifts toward the elderly, it can prove fatal to the entire community. Why? Because if people of child bearing age leave and the elderly do not, the dependency ratio rises and it becomes difficult to provide the range of goods and services needed in a rural area. Elderly migration patterns often involve "younger" elders moving into rural areas (for the slower pace, friendliness and lifestyle) and "older" elders moving into urban areas (for access to services and proximity to children). Yet, this elderly migration back to the cities may not be as evident in the Midwest and may be partially responsible for the economic decline in the 1980s.

The elderly generally live on a reduced income and, in rural areas, often this translates into poverty conditions. Historically, the highest rates of poverty have been found in rural areas. Glasgow and Beale (1985) state the situation clearly: "Half of all older people in America with poverty-level incomes live in rural areas and small towns." The graying of rural America clearly does have negative implications.