Rural Economy

Rural areas are losing grocery stores to consolidation faster than their urban counterparts — but some communities have come up with innovative solutions.

The consumer price index is widely used by Americans to determine inflation, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics only surveys American counties that include a metro or micropolitan area.

Rural America is not known for its public transportation. But as its residents get older faster than their urban counterparts, the need is increasing. Some communities are finding ways to provide rides.

The child care gap across the country is more than 30%, meaning the need for quality child care far outweighs the supply — and it's worse in rural areas.

Despite a spike in deaths from COVID-19 and fewer births, recent research suggests rural counties saw population growth during the first year of the pandemic. Remote work opportunities could have contributed to more people moving to scenic rural destinations.

The report paints a grim picture of accelerating consolidation over the last three decades. Yet some communities and local grocery stores are finding ways to thrive.

Once a Democratic stronghold, the northeast Missouri-based 18th District turned to Republicans thanks to national realignment and perhaps conservative media.

Rural Missourians voted heavily in support of medical marijuana legalization in 2018 and seem to have welcomed it readily into their communities. Come November, they could be the deciding votes on an adult-use marijuana legalization amendment.

Veterinarian clinics in rural towns have been dramatically declining in numbers for decades. Rural veterinarians often get paid less than urban practitioners, take on more workload and carry thousands of dollars in debt from medical school.

Gov. Mike Parson proposed a $69 million investment to convert 78 additional miles of the Rock Island corridor into trail, but his plan got cut by the Senate. Still, communities along the trail are forging ahead despite the absence of legislative support.

For the second time in three years, a football player at a Kansas community college died after a grueling summer practice. But the school denies responsibility for the teen's death. Plus, free money from the federal government turned into more of a headache than some Kansas and Missouri towns could handle.

Small towns far from big cities rely upon federal grants to help them, but numerous definitions of what the government considers rural make that complicated.