Countering Depopulation in Kansas
Countering Depopulation in Kansas

Author: Matthew M. Brooks

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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Many rural areas throughout the Great Plains and Midwest have been affected by a "brain drain," or the outward migration of highly trained or well-educated people. This hurts many facets of rural communities, including local schools, economies, and available services. In response to a negative outlook for rural areas, in 2012 the State of Kansas implemented the Rural Opportunity Zone (ROZ) Program to encourage young, college-educated adults to move to rural counties. The ROZ program provides tax waivers and student loan repayments to those willing to relocate to participating counties. This research looks at what influences young educated adults to participate in the program as well as how the ROZ's financial benefits potentially outweigh the drawbacks associated with rural life. The research employed a survey of Kansas State University students as well as interviews with local economic development officials who manage the program. Survey results reveal that even though the majority of students have a stated rural preference most do not view themselves as likely to participate in the program. Despite student interest in the program benefits most view the lack of services and employment opportunities in rural Kansas to be too much of a drawback. County officials expressed similar feelings. Interviews revealed that, though the program primarily benefits those though were already intending to live in a rural area, the program rarely attracts newcomers. In addition, the program is poorly funded in many areas and the lack of affordable housing or high paying jobs limits population growth in a way that the benefits of the ROZ cannot outweigh. Findings from this research will allow communities to make changes that build upon their attributes as well as limit their undesirable characteristics. This research also highlights the need for changes to be made by the State of Kansas concerning the program's benefits and awareness.

Survival of Rural America
Survival of Rural America

Author: Richard E. Wood

Publisher: University Press of Kansas

Published: 2008-03-25

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 0700617256

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On the high plains of Kansas, the future of rural America is at stake. Small farming communities are the heart and soul of America, but it's no secret that they're under siege. Family farms are disappearing and manufacturing is outsourced. Schools close, jobs vanish, and local stores can't survive. Some communities resort to giving away land just to get people to move there. Richard Wood knows that rural communities need more than jobs or money to survive: they need to become valued again as desirable places to live. He takes a closer look at what has happened in several Kansas farming towns and shows that there is much more depth and diversity to rural life than meets the eye. Wood traveled the back roads to gather stories of people in some of the most vulnerable communities that are trying to stave off depopulation. These are not just accounts of people scrambling to survive in incipient ghost towns like Ada, but gritty success stories like Plainville, where an upscale design business ignited a revival, or Atwood, which shifted from industrial recruitment to home-grown entrepreneurship. Unlike Thomas Frank, whose What's the Matter with Kansas? used the state as a political yardstick, Wood sees it reflecting major economic and population trends throughout the world. Looking at projects as small as community medical clinics or plans for vast buffalo grassland parks, he also sees a robust future for small-town pioneers, folks who are betting their-and rural America's-future on such things as alternative energy (think "ethanol"), sustainable natural agriculture, tourism, and the enduring appeal of rural life to outsiders. With dozens of photos that bring rural America to life, Wood provides an inside look at what really makes this country tick-and at some of the developments that may turn the tide against what seemed an inevitable decline. Although the odds are stacked against rural recovery, the small victories that Wood shows us hold the promise that transformation and revival may yet stave off the final bitter harvest.

Food Availability in Rural Kansas
Food Availability in Rural Kansas

Author: Patrick S. Rissler

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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In the last 70 years, there has been a decline in population of rural Kansas. For example Gove, KS, the county seat of Gove County has seen a population decline of 355% from 284 in 1940 to 80 residents in the 2010 US Census (US Census). Along with general population decline in rural areas, is decline the overall number of farms, while the average farm size has increased (Kansas Dept. of Agriculture). The decline of the population of rural communities has caused the erosion of basic infrastructure, leaving many communities lacking access to basic services. One of the crucial components of the rural infrastructure is the rural grocery store. Since 2007, in Kansas communities with populations under 2,500 people, 82 grocery stores have closed. On average, rural Kansans now drive over 10 miles each direction to obtain their groceries. Proctor (2013) describes how the loss of a grocery store can affect a community: "Rural grocery stores are part of the economic engine that sustains rural communities," "they are a significant source of local taxes, powering the creation and maintenance of civic services and amenities. They provide essential, stable jobs - butchers, cashiers, managers, and stockers - at a time when we are desperate for employment opportunities." The objectives of this study are to describe the food desert conditions of three rural communities in Kansas, to understand the trends regarding rural grocery stores, and to better understand the issues of access to healthy foods faced by people living in these areas.

Rural Opportunity Zones Annual Report
Rural Opportunity Zones Annual Report

Author: David C. Toland

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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Established in 2012 with the primary goal of reducing out-migration in rural Kansas counties. The program has two components, each available for up to five years: State income tax waiver [and] Student loan repayment assistance. ... Program analysis finds that the ROZ program did not reduce rural depopulation in 91% of Kansas counties. ... The Kansas Legislature should restructure the ROZ program and engage with rural communities to develop locally driven and tailored investment alternatives that are evidence-based and meet community needs.