Johnson & Lichter: Growing Racial Diversity in Rural America

In Growing Racial Diversity in Rural America: Results from the 2020 Census, Kenneth Johnson (Sociology, New Hampshire) and Daniel Lichter (Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell) discuss the change in rural population through a racial lens.

Using 2020 Census data, the authors evaluate the evolution of changes in the ethnic and racial makeup of rural counties throughout the United States. In this evaluation, the authors draw two main conclusions. First, they conclude that racial diversity increased in rural areas even though the overall rural population declined. Second, they determined that the child population (defined as <18 years old) in rural counties is more racially diverse than the adult population.

First, the population remains dominantly white non-Hispanic (76.7 percent), with those who identified as a racial or ethnic minority increasing from 20.2 percent in 2010 to 24 percent in 2020. The authors acknowledge that, in part, this is not a result of racial or ethnic minorities relocating to more rural areas, but rather a consequence of white population decline. These population trends are primarily taking place in the Southern and Western regions of the United States where there are larger Hispanic populations. Hispanic populations make up 9 percent of the current total rural population (4.1 million).

Second, the child populations of rural counties are more racially diverse than the adult population. Nearly one-third (32.5 percent) of all rural children come from racial or ethnic minority populations. The authors call this increasing diversity a “harbinger” of community trends to come. They point out that due to the higher level of diversity in youth, social and political implications first become more noticeable in school districts. This has led to a change in certain aspects of these school districts, such as poverty level, delivery of culturally sensitive social services, and English Language Learner courses. The authors then extrapolate this change into rural communities. They argue that as more predominantly white non-Hispanic young adults migrate out of rural communities, there is a subsequent increase in racial and ethnic minorities in the community, leading to a change in social programs, economic development, and an expanded tax base.

In sum, rural America may be declining in population; however, its people are more diverse than ever. As the white non-Hispanic rural residents migrate away, more ethnic and racially diverse communities are taking their place. More research is needed to understand how these migration patterns will affect rural communities socially, economically, and politically.