Economy
Pandemic Population Boom in Rural Hotspots Sparks Resentment
- Newcomers are overloading infrastructure, boosting home prices
- Population in non-metro counties rose for second year in 2022
Rural America is booming, but the population growth that’s boosting local economies is also putting a strain on everything from schools to housing and roads.
The influx — which started during the pandemic — has continued even as Covid restrictions have lifted. The latest government data released just last month points to a second year of increases in 2022 after years of declines.