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Newcomers mean 'brain gain' for rural Minnesota
People often lament a brain drain in rural Minnesota—the loss of 18-25-year-olds who leave their small home towns after high school. But there is also an in-migration to these towns of 30-49-year-old adults and their young children. In many cases, those moving into rural communities offset, or surpass, the numbers of those moving away. This, says Extension research fellow Ben Winchester, is a brain gain. This is hopeful news for rural Minnesota. But the trend must be sustained. Read more
Learn more about this research:
Ben Winchester, Research Fellow
Extension Center for Community Vitality
320-589-5033
benw@umn.edu
Contact information for journalists
Extension > Community > Brain gain in rural Minnesota
High school graduates might leave rural areas for college and jobs in the big city, but more are coming back with college degrees, careers, professional contacts, and young families. Still others with these credentials are moving to rural communities for the first time. Extension's demographic research, publications, and perspectives on this brain gain can help community leaders consider what this means for their rural area.
What is the trend?
- Rural Migration: The Brain Gain of the Newcomers (170 K PDF)
- The Glass Half Full: A New View of Rural Minnesota
(1.46 MB PDF)
Researching the trend
- Economic Impact of New Residents - Overview (365 KB PDF)
- Economic Impact of New Residents - Full report (440 KB PDF)
- Regional Recruitment: Strategies to Attract and Retain Newcomers (3.44 MB PDF)
- New Residents Survey Summary of Results (672 KB PDF)
Brain gain in the news
- Newcomers mean 'brain gain' for rural Minnesota
- Kids may leave, but rural Minnesota benefits from 'brain gain' among 30- and 40-somethings
- Relationship between brain gain and broadband in rural areas
- ReImagine Rural: Building a deep conversation about the future of rural
- Burgh Diaspora - Economic Development From Geographic Mobility
- Community and family, not professional skills, drives moves to the country, U of M study shows
- Yellow Medicine County doing OK in recession
- New Richland renews effort to market free lots to new settlers
- Is there a youth 'brain drain' in rural Minnesota?
Resources for communities
Get newcomers involved in rural Minnesota Put your town on the map Make a living in rural Minnesota Raise a family Lead in communitiesResearch Perspectives
Research fellow Ben Winchester is interviewed about rural brain gain.
Produced by Lakeland Public Television
An article from the fedgazette
by David Fettig
Community Perspectives
Young newcomers are moving into Clarkfield
Courtesy of the Granite Falls-Clarkfield Advocate Tribune. Scott Tedrick, Editor
Newcomer Perspectives
Gregg Aamot shares his perspective on rural towns in a MinnPost.com article.
Years away offer a fresh perspective on what rural towns have to offer -- and what they don't
An article from MinnPost.com
by Gregg Aamot
Newcomers Find Paradise in Rural America
Perspectives from blogger Shannon Latham in The Field Position
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