This report identifies local factors that foster rural economic growth. A review of the literature revealed potential indicators of county economic growth, and those indicators were then tested against data for nonmetro counties during the 1980s using multiple regression analysis. The principal variables examined included demographic and labor…

Relying on Daniel Boorstin's argument that the newspaper was at least one of the first institutions in a frontier community, a study examined the 1880 United States Census of eight western territories to determine the number of newspapers and the ratio of newspapers to population in frontier counties. Three groups were examined: counties that had…

The link between women's education and fertility traces the pattern of modernization and demographic transition of a rural setting in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The study presents the conceptual framework underlying the analysis, background information on female status and on the demographic situation, and an outline of conditions existing…

Several demographic aspects of population concentration and deconcentration within the nonmetropolitan sector during 1960-1984 are examined using census data. Relative rates of urban and rural growth during 1960-70, 1970-80, and 1980-84 are compared. Shifts in the proportion of nonmetropolitan counties experiencing rural growth during 1980-84 are…

The Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas consists of three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy. Poverty pervades in the Valley, especially in the colonias ("a poor, rural unincorporated community with 20 or more dwelling units, where home ownership is the rule"). Colonia residents are almost exclusively Mexican Americans.…

Israel is a society with a considerable tradition of social planning and centralized decision making. The government, consequently, was in a position to undertake far-reaching decisions concerning population redistribution. The instrument to accomplish population redistribution was to be a network of small and medium sized urban settlements,…

A community survey examined socioeconomic characteristics and community participation patterns in a rural Canadian area in which recreational cottages were being converted to full-time homes by urban retirees. Compared to long-time residents, "converters" were more likely to be older and more educated, to have no children at home, and to…

To provide grassroots judgment on the validity of the 28 recommendations stemming from the May 1979 National Seminar on Rural Education and to determine how specific federal programs impact rural education, 179 invited non-federal representatives from rural organizations, rural educational systems, state departments of education, and the general…

Rural southern Georgia's economic growth in 1976-81 improved employment and income for Whites but had little effect on Blacks. The percentage of employed Blacks declined, their weeks of work per year dropped, and most remained in low-skill, low-wage occupations. Blacks had lower levels of experience, training, and schooling than Whites. (JHZ)

Lying within the Cumberland Plateau of Appalachia, the Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD) comprises eight rural Kentucky counties: Breathitt, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Owsley, Perry, and Wolfe. This report reviews regional history of economic development and examines socioeconomic indicators, including education, poverty, and the…

A study was conducted to determine whether the two-year college facilities and programs available to residents of Fauquier County in Virginia were adequate to meet their current and future needs. Lord Fairfax Community College and Germanna Community College, which share responsibility for serving this rural county, recently combined their…

To compare various socio-demographic indicators and attitudes on community issues of recent urban to rural migrants with those of native residents, personal interviews were conducted with an adult in 3391 households in the 5 county Meramec Area of Missouri during the fall of 1977. Of the respondents, 24% had lived in the county 7 years or less,…

Expanding work opportunities, changing family structure, double digit inflation, and relaxed attitudes toward the appropriateness of women's work outside the home have contributed to increased labor force participation of women in recent years. Recent studies indicate that despite traditional attitudes ascribed to rural areas, trends in increasing…

Nonmetro (rural) blacks continue to lag behind metro (urban and suburban) blacks and whites of all residence categories on rates of graduation from high school and college, functional literacy, preprimary and college enrollment, and adult education. Nonmetro blacks are also less likely to be in the labor force, hold white collar jobs, or have…

In the late 1970s both jobs and population were growing more rapidly outside metropolitan areas. As a group, nonmetropolitan counties not adjacent to a metropolitan area experienced a faster rate of employment growth than metropolitan areas between 1975-79. Even in rural counties (no urban place of 2,500 or more) not adjacent to a metropolitan…