Migration of young adults in micropolitan counties

Nonmetropolitan U.S. counties have historically lagged metropolitan areas in population and employment growth. Population projections indicate that they will face a shrinking workforce in the future, although, immigration and domestic migration by young adults could help offset this trend. The number of young adults (ages 25 to 44) is projected to increase in the next several decades and thus will be a growing proportion of the workforce. However, whether they will be attracted to rural areas such as micropolitan counties and how these counties can attract them has not received much attention in the community development literature. This article uses OLS regression to examine the determinants of the net migration rate for the 25-44 age group in micropolitan counties between 2000 and 2010, adjusting for geographic, economic, and county-level demographic factors.. The discussion then examines approaches that micropolitan areas can use to attract this age cohort.