Yeah, well, they've been lamenting "the death of rural America" for 50 years:
Rural America now accounts for just 16 percent of the nation's population, the lowest ever.
The latest 2010 census numbers hint at an emerging America where, by midcentury, city boundaries become indistinct and rural areas grow ever less relevant. Many communities could shrink to virtual ghost towns as they shutter businesses and close down schools, demographers say.
All of that is assuming an unbroken continuation of current trends, which is a risky assumption. As technological innovations in communications and transportation keep building, there will be less need to congregate in order to enjoy life's amenities. My brother's home in Texas is about a 20-minute drive from the nearest town, and he chose to live there after getting fed up with the hassles of living in Houston. They're pretty self-contained there and really don't lack for anything unless you count the need to drive a little while to get groceries. Oh, and they can only get satellite Internet service, which means it's too slow to really enjoy cool YouTube videos. Oh, the hardships of pioneer life!
