Migration to rural America results in the 4th year of population growth

“We saw an increase of about 134,000 new rural Americans in rural America... all of that is from migration.”

Migration to rural America saw a major jump for the 4th year in a row. It marks a notable turn from a nearly decade-long trend of population declines in rural areas.

Sarah Melotte with the Daily Yonder has been studying the data and spoke with RFD-TV’s Suzanne Alexander on how the years compare, contributing factors, and if this trend will continue.

Related Stories
Richard Gupton of the Agricultural Retailers Association explains a new resource designed to help farmers comply with ESA-related pesticide label requirements.
Sen. Roger Marshall discusses the Senate’s unanimous passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and what expanded milk options could mean for students and dairy farmers. Industry groups say it is a win for student nutrition and dairy producers.
Supplemental Disaster Relief Program Stage Two will disburse around $16 billion, approved by Congress last year. Sign-ups begin Monday, and producers have until April to return applications.
An outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1) first appeared after livestock events in Texas and Arizona, and some horses have already died.
Early Cattle-on-Feed estimates point to slightly tighter cattle supplies, reinforcing the need to monitor prices and timing for winter marketing.
Row crop losses in 2025 are outpacing last year. With no disaster aid yet approved, many operations face a tough financial bridge to 2026 even as Farm Bill improvements remain a year away.