Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part series covering the Center for Rural Policy and Development’s recent virtual discussion on the state of rural Minnesota in 2024.
While it might be considered strange, if not inappropriate, to talk about the COVID-19 glass being half full, one result of the pandemic could turn out to be a benefit to rural areas in Minnesota.
According to research conducted by the Center for Rural Policy and Development, a significant shift in population took place immediately following the pandemic as, for the first time in decades, rural counties experienced population gains, while the seven-county metro saw population loss. The trend, research indicated, continued in 2022.
See more in this week’s paper!