Examines interdecade growth of United States nonmetropolitan incorporated places for each decade since 1900. Shows four periods of growth and decline patterns: 1900-1930, continuous rural settlement and overall concentration; 1930-1940, depressed urban growth; 1940-1950, suburbanization and rural decline; and 1960-1980, deconcentration and village…

Examines trends, 1960-87, in population, retail and service activity, and manufacturing activity for a random sample of 202 nonmetro villages. Finds slowest growth or absolute decline in the 1980s. Suggests a stronger position for the small town as a residential center, rather than a retail or production center. (SV)

Annual nonmetro population growth was lower in 1980-88 than in 1970s, but agricultural and manufacturing counties showed some recovery in 1986-88. Retirement counties grew at twice national rate during 1980s, underscoring diversity in nonmetro population trends across regions. Rural outmigration pattern was diverse with a net national balance to…

Analyzes migration streams between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, 1975-93, in terms of sex, race, age, educational attainment, poverty level, and occupational status. Distinct shifts included nonmetro gains and retention of the young and better-educated during the 1970s, loss of those groups in the 1980s, and increased nonmetro population…

Uses 1950-90 census data to examine population trends in six northern Plains and Rocky Mountain states. Finds that, except for the rural turnaround of the 1970s, metropolitan counties grew faster than nonmetropolitan; nonmetropolitan counties containing larger communities grew in all four decades; and counties with smaller communities lost…