Rural Research Briefs

Population Change in Rural America

The 2010 Census revealed a population of 308 million people in the United States. This figure represents a population increase of roughly 27million, or a 9.7 percent from the year 2000. The nation’s population growth over the past decade was lower than in the 1990‐2000 period, when the national population grew by 13 percent. A variety of factors, including the recent economic downturn, reduced immigration, as well as other demographic factors, are largely responsible for this moderated population growth.

In this research brief, HAC provides and overview of the rural population, details population change in rural and small town areas, and provides state by state figures on rural population change.

Population Change in Rural America, (PDF)