Proximity to an urban center may be key for maintaining rural population, say three Iowa State University researchers. Writing in the Agricultural Policy Review, Georgeanne Artz, Younjun Kim and Peter Orazem compare Iowa, the 12th most rural state, and Nebraska, the 23rd most rural; 33 of Nebraska’s 93 counties have fewer residents than Iowa’s least populous county. Ninety percent of Iowans are within a 45-minute drive to one of the state’s nine urban labor markets, where wages are 20 percent higher.
“Research done at Iowa State has shown that job growth in one county leads to population growth in a two county radius,” say the researchers. “Iowa’s rural and urban politicians are often at odds regarding economic development strategies, with rural politicians viewing urban employment growth as a threat. In fact, the growth of Iowa’s urban job centers has meant the survival of small Iowa towns more than any programs aimed at creating jobs in rural towns.”