Cities appear to be thriving, but the numbers are deceiving.
Despite many people fleeing US cities during the pandemic’s signature year, several metropolitan areas appear to be enjoying a revival. Statista estimated that 83.7% of the US population might live in urban communities by 2025, a percentage that could climb to 89.2% by 2050. In fact, the United Nations Population Division predicts seven out of every ten people worldwide will live in urban territories by 2050.
According to a study published in Sage Journals, “[N]onmetro counties (defined in 1980) grew from 55 million people in 1980 to roughly 70 million in 2020. Yet, because of nonmetro-to-metro reclassification, the 2020 census reports a nonmetro population of only 46 million.”
But the numbers are misleading.
When Rural Becomes Urban
Rural demographics…
