American communities that could die out in the next few decades
lovemoney staff
13 November 2017
People are deserting these US communities
If the populations of some towns and small communities in America continue to fall as they are currently, there will be no one left there at all in just a few decades. A lack of employment opportunities and the urge to seek excitement elsewhere is driving younger people into larger towns and cities, literally leaving these places to die out. We take a look at some of the areas facing an uncertain future.
Alexander County, Illinois
Alexander County is the southern most county of Illinois. According to figures released by the US Census, it saw its population tumble 21.4% from 8,238 in 2010 to 6,478 in 2016. With the median household annual income hovering around $27,265 in 2015, according to the US Census, it's likely that most people are fleeing in the hope of finding more economic prosperity elsewhere.
Butte County, Idaho
Over 350 people, or 13.% of the population, cleared out of Butte County, Idaho between 2010 and 2016, according to the US Census. The lack of a high-tech presence in the region, limited entertainment and employment options are likely crucial factors driving people to leave the area.
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
There is a lot of investment going into PIne Bluff, Arkansas to try and turn around its population, which has dropped dramatically in the last few years. According to the US Census, 49,083 people lived in the city in 2010, which had fallen 10.7% to 43,841 in 2016. Recognising the decline, the campaign Go Forward Pine Bluff has been set up with the prime aim of increasing the revenues of the city government so that it can provide top class services and retain its citizens. All might not be lost yet.
Indianola, Mississippi
Nearly 10% of the inhabitants of Indianola in Sunflower County, Mississippi have ditched the city since 2010. In 2010, the US Census recorded 10,683 people living there, in 2016 this total was put at 9,655. What was once a thriving farming community has been hit hard by automation. A third of the population are now classified as living in poverty. Indianola has a thriving tourist trade, however, linked to its Blues music history, so a comeback can't be ruled out.
Selma, Alabama
A whopping 8.5%, or 1,773 people, have left Selma to live elsewhere since 2010. According to the US Census, the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama, now has 18,983 residents. The centre of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, Selma suffers from high unemployment and a large number of its residents live in poverty. People that see a way out seem to grab it and go.
Logan, West Virginia
The whole of the mountainous state of West Virginia is experiencing depopulation, perceived to be the result of a lack of economic opportunity – a consequence of the death of the coal industry, an ageing community and a drug epidemic that has blighted the whole area. Logan County has seen its population decrease by 8.3% from 36,743 in 2010 to 33,700 in 2016. With so many of its young people heading off to college with little incentive to return, it could easily become a ghost town one day.
Eastman, Georgia
Once the centre of the timber industry, Eastman, Georgia became famous again in 1998 for an election bribery scandal. This corruption still leaves a shadow over the town. Probably as a result of this, and a continuing struggle with high unemployment and poverty, the town's population fell 7.7% in the relatively short time between 2010 and 2016. In 2010 there were around 5,590 residents, falling to 5,157 in 2016, according to the US Census figures.
Washington County, North Carolina
Many of North Carolina's well populated areas are in decline and Washington County is finding it particularly hard to stem the tide of people leaving. Even the river traffic appears slower. According to the US Census, Washington County's population has dropped 7.7% from 13,228 in 2010 to 12,195 in 2016. A large elderly population, coupled with the numbers of people of child-bearing age being lured elsewhere, are being blamed for the drop in numbers.
Bastrop, Louisiana
Louisiana as a whole has seen a rise in its population, but pockets of the state have seen huge exoduses out. Bastrop, in the north east, has seen its population fall 6.9% from 11,365 in 2010 to 10,578 in 2015. The closures of the International Paper Company and a Pilgrim's Pride plant led to a number of job losses and accelerated the pilgrimages out of the nearby area to much larger cities.
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, situated about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, has seen 6% of its residents abandon it between the turn of the century and 2016, when the latest US census figures put its population at 19,712, down from 20,975 in 2000. Steel was once the bloodline of the area and the industry's decline has led to heavy unemployment. Johnstown has had some success in encouraging new businesses to open up there, but it hasn't happened fast enough to stop residents seeking work elsewhere.
Burton, Michigan
Burton, Michigan is another town that is still struggling to return to its heyday when many of its residents were working in the automobile industry. US Census figures show that its population fell 4.5% between 2010 and 2016, falling to 28,648. Household incomes have dropped as a result of unemployment and the numbers now living in poverty has grown accordingly. None of this helps to keep its residents rooted.
Clinton, Iowa
Clinton, Iowa saw 4.3% of its residents die or pack their bags and leave town between 2010 and 2016, according to the US Census. In 2010 Clinton had 26,885 residents, falling to 25,719 in 2016. It seems to have trouble holding on to its youth, with many young people heading off to college and never returning. Instead they seek their destiny in other destinations with more varied job prospects.
Daleville, Alabama
Nearly 4% of Daleville, Alabama's people have moved on in the six years since 2010. As of July 2016, the US Census had the population down to 5,101 from 5,295 in 2010. Just under a quarter of the population are deemed as being in poverty, according to the US Census, so those that see opportunities elsewhere are quick to take them, which only further reduces the investment in terms of tax and spending required to help Daleville to return to its prime.
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is the county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio. The US Census recorded its population as 64,312 in 2016, down 4% from 66,979 in 2010. Once a thriving steel town, the lack of employment opportunities are now blamed for pushing 38.3% of the town's inhabitants into poverty and encouraging others to leave and seek their fortunes elsewhere. As a result, Youngstown is now dotted with abandoned homes, which does nothing to help stem the tide of people moving on.
Charleston, West Virginia
Just over 4% of the population of Charleston, West Virginia has cleared out or passed on between the last two US Census counts. In 2016, its population stood at 49,138. It was 51,340 in 2010. To get the area growing again, the West Virginia Development Office is working to encourage people to stay in Charleston or move to it.
Salem County, New Jersey
Salem County in New Jersey has seen its population slip 4% recently, from 66,069 in 2010 to 63,436 in 2016. The worst-hit area in the county is Pennsville township, which fell 5.5% from 13,410 in 2010 to 12,677 in 2016. Job cuts at one of the largest employers in the area, DuPont, is thought to be one reason behind the mass population movement with a lack of new businesses opening up in the area to fill the gap.
Wildwood, New Jersey
Despite having what is claimed to be one of the best beaches in New Jersey, Wildwood saw a 3.8% drop in its population to 5,120 in 2016 from 5,325 in 2010, according to the US Census. Being a tourist town, many employment opportunities are seasonal and this, together with a high crime rate, is likely what has spurred residents to move elsewhere.
Hamtramck, Michigan
Like the nearby city of Detroit, Hamtramck, Michigan has suffered from job cuts in the local automobile industry, once the root of all wealth in the area. According to the latest US Census figures recorded in 2016, Hamtramck has 21,752 residents, a drop of 3% since 2010. This fall will not have helped the cash-strapped town, which in 2010 pleaded with the State of Michigan to let it declare bankruptcy.
Ligonier, Pennsylvania
The pretty mountain town of Ligonier, Pennsylvania saw its population fall from 6,598 in 2010 to 6,482 in 2016, according to the US Census. This may not seem much, but that's a drop of 1.8%, which is enough to hurt a small town. An ageing population and a low birthrate are the prime reasons for the fall in numbers.
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