Rural Think Tank | Practical Ministry Resources for Small and Rural Churches - Page 15

The Rural Brain Drain

August 15, 2026 by Brent Lacy

The Phenomenon That Is Reshaping Rural America The phrase “Rural Brain Drain” originated from a book called Hollowing Out the Middle, which looked at the effect that adults were having in their community by preparing their best and brightest to be shipped off to colleges and universities, sometimes never to return. Many outlets have since …

The Rural Health Provider Shortage

August 15, 2026 by Brent Lacy

The Doctor Is Out, Permanently Debbie Weingarten wrote an article at TalkPoverty.org looking at the shortage of rural primary care health providers in America. She looks at the closings of rural health centers and hospitals and how that can affect the surrounding communities. The problem is getting worse. The National Conference of State Legislatures reports …

The Aging Demographics of Rural America

August 15, 2026 by Brent Lacy

Smaller and Grayer This article from The Atlantic has been out on the web since 2016, but it gives a snapshot of what rural America looks like in many places. There are many small towns all over the landscape that were once prominent, but are now smaller and grayer, as the generations have moved on. …

Rural Population Demographics

August 15, 2026 by Brent Lacy

Where Is Rural America, and What Does It Look Like? The following statistics are from “Where Is Rural America, and What Does It Look Like?” Published February 2017. “Rural America” is a deceptively simple term for a remarkably diverse collection of places. It includes nearly 72 percent of the land area of the United States …

6 Charts that Illustrate Rural America

August 15, 2026 by Brent Lacy

What the Data Reveals Back in March of 2017, PBS ran an article illustrating some differences between Rural and Urban America. You can find that article here. There are some good statistics on poverty, disability, jobs, and entrepreneurship in rural areas. In the workshops that I give, I highlight that poverty and homelessness is very …