Impacts of Return Migration on Rural U.S. Communities

Abstract

Rural population loss is caused as much by low in‐migration as by high out‐migration, and for geographically disadvantaged nonmetropolitan counties in the United States, return migration plays a crucial role. This research captures impacts of return migrants on population, economy, and society in declining rural U.S. communities using a qualitative, multisited approach. Interviews conducted at high school reunions with rural returnees in their late 20s to late 40s show that the vast majority of returnees brought spouses and children back with them, increasing the short‐term and long‐term population. They also brought back much needed human capital, including education, job skills, and life experiences, and filled professional positions that are often hard to fill in rural communities. Entrepreneurial activities and self‐employment of many return migrants favorably affected rural economies by improving the employment base and expanding available services. Interviews show how decisions to move back were grounded in social relations that promoted civic engagement. While they mainly moved back for their children and their families, return migrants valued involvement in familiar social networks and the opportunities to make a difference in their rural hometowns.

Status Quo and Potential of Remigration Among Transylvanian Saxons to Rural Romania

“…With regard to return migrants, King (2015) stresses their role as both investors and innovators. Investments in existing properties or developing new real estate are widely reported, while price increases occasionally come along (Reichert et al, 2014). With regard to rural employment markets, re-migrants are also addressed as valuable workforce being well educated and having made experiences in transnational enterprises prior to their return.…”

Network Approaches to Substance Use and HIV/Hepatitis C Risk among Homeless Youth and Adult Women in the United States: A Review

“…Much of this transformation has been tied to changes in the meat packing industry that have attracted considerable migration from Central America [150]–[152]. Yet other deep structural changes have emerged recently as well, including differences in gendered employment [153]–[155], uneven and short-lived patterns of return migration [156] [157], differential impact of age [158] and education [159] on migration, and related general patterns of rural economic well-being [160]–[162]. One possible explanation is that these changes lie behind surface statistics documenting racial/ethnic health disparities among homeless women in the region.…”

Sense of Community and Migration Intentions among Rural Young Professionals

“…As employment opportunities dwindle in farming and mining, rural communities worry that the outflow of young adults forecast a disintegration of small town life (Johnson ; Johnson and Rathge ). The loss of childbearing cohorts directly and indirectly reduces population size in nonmetropolitan areas (Von Reichert, Cromartie, and Arthun ), and cumulative impacts of rural youth out‐migration lead to higher median ages, fewer births, and eventual population loss (Johnson and Lichter ).…”

“…Johnson and Rathge 2006). The loss of childbearing cohorts directly and indirectly reduces population size in nonmetropolitan areas (Von Reichert, Cromartie, and Arthun 2014), and cumulative impacts of rural youth out-migration lead to higher median ages, fewer births, and eventual population loss (Johnson and Lichter 2012).…”