1 In 3 Counties Now Dying Off

[Leonard]

A record number of U.S. counties – more than 1 in 3 – are now dying off, hit by an aging population and weakened local economies that are spurring young adults to seek jobs and build families elsewhere.

New 2012 census estimates released Thursday highlight the population shifts as the U.S. encounters its most sluggish growth levels since the Great Depression.

The findings also reflect the increasing economic importance of foreign-born residents as the U.S. ponders an overhaul of a major 1965 federal immigration law. Without new immigrants, many metropolitan areas such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh and St. Louis would have posted flat or negative population growth in the last year.

"Immigrants are innovators, entrepreneurs, they're making things happen. They create jobs," said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, at an immigration conference in his state last week. Saying Michigan should be a top destination for legal immigrants to come and boost Detroit and other struggling areas, Snyder made a special appeal: "Please come here."

The growing attention on immigrants is coming mostly from areas of the Midwest and Northeast, which are seeing many of their residents leave after years of staying put during the downturn. With a slowly improving U.S. economy, young adults are now back on the move, departing traditional big cities to test the job market mostly in the South and West, which had sustained the biggest hits in the housing bust.

Also seeing big declines now are rural and exurban areas, along with industrial sections of the Rust Belt.

Census data show that 1,135 of the nation's 3,143 counties are now experiencing "natural decrease," where deaths exceed births. That's up from roughly 880 U.S. counties, or 1 in 4, in 2009. Already apparent in Japan and many European nations, natural decrease is now increasingly evident in large swaths of the U.S.

Despite increasing deaths, the U.S. population as a whole continues to grow, boosted by immigration from abroad and relatively higher births among the mostly younger migrants from Mexico, Latin America and Asia.

A common theme is a waning local economy, such as farming, mining or industrial areas. They also include some retirement communities in Florida, although many are cushioned by a steady flow of new retirees each year.

Since 2010, many of the fastest-growing U.S. metro areas have also been those that historically received a lot of federal dollars, including Fort Stewart, Ga., Jacksonville, N.C., Crestview, Fla., and Charleston-North Charleston, S.C., all home to military bases. Per-capita federal spending rose from about $5,300 among the fastest-growing metros from 2000 to 2010, to about $8,200 among the fastest-growing metros from 2011 to 2012.

"Federal funding has helped many cities weather the decline in private sector jobs," Mather said.

Redacted from......... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/14...74983.html

[PonderThis]

Along the same lines, and closer to home: http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northw...cart_river

Census Bureau: Oregon's largest counties grow while rural areas empty



Excerpt: "Oregon's most populous counties are growing, while many rural areas continue to see residents leave.

According to annual population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Portland metro area population reached 2,289,800 in July 2012 -- a jump of 1.3 percent from the year before and 2.9 percent since the 2010 census.

Washington County posted the largest population gain among Oregon counties with a 1.5 percent year-over-year jump. Multnomah, Deschutes, Wasco and Clackamas counties all also posted gains of more than one percent.

The biggest population losers over the past year were Curry, Grant, Lake, Harney and Wallowa counties, each of which lost more than one percent of its population. They all recorded more deaths than births, and more people moving out than moving in.

Oregon's statewide population was 3,899,353 on July 1, 2012. That's up 0.8 percent from a year earlier and 1.8 percent from the 2010 Census.

During the early part of the 2000s, the statewide population was growing by more than 1 percent each year, said Risa Proehl, a research associate at the Population Research Center at Portland State University.

"When the recession hit, growth rates slowed down," she said. "But even though it's still under 1 percent, the growth rate has increased every year since at least 2010."

Declines were concentrated in more rural counties in Eastern Oregon and in coastal communities.

"Typically more rural counties will see an out-migration of young adults," Proehl said. "Those numbers aren't replaced, especially if there isn't any job availability."

About 59 percent of the state's net population gain in 2012 was due to migration, and about 40 percent was due to natural increase -- that is, more births than deaths.

People moving to Oregon from another country were responsible for about one-third of the net in-migration. The rest moved from elsewhere in the U.S.

The Census Bureau numbers Thursday don't reflect where people are moving from, but Proehl said other research shows most international emigrants come from Latin America and Asia.

"I think the reason for moving to Oregon is for economic opportunity coupled with coming to a community that has been established by those of the same or similar culture," Proehl said..."

[Wonky]

I was curious about what defines a "rural" county.

According to the link below, Jackson County, OR is "Small Metro".

But I don't really understand the map, text, or colors. There is a vacant lot in my neighborhood. Rural, I'd guess.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/urban_rural.htm

[bbqboy]

Ghetto.

[Larry]

Strictly going by the title of the topic, and admitting I didn't read whatever the content is, I say BIG FUCKING DUH.

Locally, I mean. Since the bullshit of the spotted owl, Oregon has gone to the... wolves.

[bbqboy]

Again with the wolves. maybe you do have a sense of humor deep within.
And BTW, we're not rural.

[singalong]

This is a disappointing idea but people can't be blamed for moving if their lives can be improved considerably. More government funds need to be devoted to developing local jobs and creating local infrastructure.

[Wonky]

This is a disappointing idea but people can't be blamed for moving if their lives can be improved considerably. More government funds need to be devoted to developing local jobs and creating local infrastructure.

Hi Singalong, I noticed you joined us just today. (any relationship to Mitch Miller? ...you may have to Google that).

I hope you find this place interesting, stimulating, and fun.

From your post above: "More government funds need to be devoted...". Be prepared for an outburst. Some here feel the only legitimate responsibility of government is to keep Mexicans out and to ensure the complete and total right to own as many guns as one can afford.

I, on the other hand, believe the government should take all the money from the rich people and give it to the poor people. And provide every American with a smart phone, a yearly trip to Disneyland, free pot, and all the biscuits and gravy we can eat. Free motorcycles would be good to.

Welcome aboard. Now put on your seat belt.

[Crazylace]

Now is a great time to ask the government for money.

[Wonky]

Now is a great time to ask the government for money.

Okay...?

That looks for all the world like you posted a complete thought and then deleted all but the first sentence.

[Crazylace]

Now is a great time to ask the government for money.

Okay...?

That looks for all the world like you posted a complete thought and then deleted all but the first sentence.

No, it was a genuinely sarcastic comment.

[Clone]

If folks would learn from history, they would realize that FDR and the Democrats brought us out of the Depression by the government heavily investing in our infrastructure and putting folks to work.

Of course, gearing up for WWII put us over the top, but we were well on our way beforehand.

Austerity is never the answer in times such as these.

[singalong]

If folks would learn from history, they would realize that FDR and the Democrats brought us out of the Depression by the government heavily investing in our infrastructure and putting folks to work.

Of course, gearing up for WWII put us over the top, but we were well on our way beforehand.

Austerity is never the answer in times such as these.

I completely agree but when lobbying is so prevalent, the right course of action for the people is always going to come second to what is right for those offering political 'donations'.

[TennisMom]

Clone, you hit the nail on the head. The very thing many people deplore, government spending, is what keeps countries afloat. If we allow the current trend to continue, we will resemble every other banana republic that has the wealthy living in gated communities with armed guards and barbed wire while the remaining 99 percent scramble for the crumbs. Government spending is essential, especially on infrastructure, health care and education.

F'rinstance, local schools. People in the northeast, have among the best schools in the country. House prices are higher in districts with the most outstanding schools. Property taxes reflect that. Consider a nice house in a decent town with good but not great schools, you would pay above a half- million dollars-plus for it and in excess of $10,000 in property taxes. Move to a town like Scarsdale and that house might cost $750k-plus with taxes of almost twenty grand. A three-bedroom ranch in Bronxville with terrific schools and close proximity to NYC? You will need a million or two and will pay $25k-plus in property taxes.

When the kids grow up, their parents can't sustain those expenses on their fixed incomes, so they move away. We ought to have these great schools for all kids, everywhere, and subsidized by the federal government.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

[illcommandante]

For decades, they crawled in here from California, to fish and die. And, with their children grown, and educated, they had little interest in edcuating someone else's. They'd spring for cops, at best.