Examines and explains unexpected population trends since 1970: substantial rural and small-town growth, regional shifts to the South and West, lower birth rates, increased life expectancy, smaller household size, and population growth from immigration. Illustrates how demographic events offer classic examples of the difficulty of predicting human…

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,…