The common depiction of rural America as predominantly white, poor, and monolithic ignores significant historical, economic, and cultural realities.
The upcoming election will likely hinge on the voting outcomes of a handful of states with large rural populations. Expect to see many more sweeping, one-dimensional portrayals of rural communities, driven by visiting journalists whose prevailing interest is the connection to national politics, followed by a similar style of post-election analysis.
The common depiction of rural America as predominantly white, poor, and monolithic ignores significant historical, economic, and cultural realities. Instead, we know that if you’ve seen one rural place … you’ve seen one rural place. The skewed national narrative fails to capture rural and Indigenous communities’ breadth and depth of assets, diversity, and innovation, undermining the dignity and respect that all communities deserve in how their stories are portrayed.
To dispel some preconceived notions about rural communities, leaders from The Praxis Project, Partners for Rural Transformation, and Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group each highlighted a myth that perpetuates inequities in how rural places and people are understood and supported.
The multifaceted reality of rural America
Myth No. 1: Rural America is predominantly white.
The narrative associating rural areas with whiteness not only erases the experiences of people of color, but also distorts the reality of the diverse communities that call rural America home.
“Too often, rural equals white in the popular imagination. But in reality, one in five Americans lives in rural areas, and nearly a quarter of those are people of color,” said Xavier Morales, executive director of The Praxis Project, dismantling the myth that rural America is overwhelmingly white.
This demographic reality is shaped by various migration patterns — both voluntary and forced — throughout U.S. history. In many southern states, African American families are deeply rooted; in the Southwestern U.S., Latinx populations have long been established; and Native American communities predate the idea of rural America itself.
Morales also pointed to ongoing immigration patterns, particularly Latinx migration from Central and South America, that are adding layers of complexity to rural demographics. Newcomers, such as people of Mayan heritage from Guatemala who are settling in places like central Ohio, reflect the growing diversity in these areas.
“The current picture of rural America is not only wrong; it’s dangerous because it ignores the rich tapestry of communities that have long existed here,” Morales stressed. He emphasized that recognizing this diversity is crucial for tailoring policy solutions that address the needs of all rural residents.
Investing in rural communities, not abandoning them
Myth No. 2: Rural people should just move when challenges arise.
There’s a pervasive idea that rural residents should relocate if their communities lack opportunities or are hit by natural disasters. Bonita Robertson-Hardy, co-executive director of Aspen CSG, pointed out that this suggestion undermines the deep historical and cultural ties people have to their rural homes, particularly in communities of color and Indigenous populations, and that many of the challenges rural communities face are systemic and rooted in historic disinvestment by both the government and philanthropy.
The notion that rural residents should move to find better infrastructure or job opportunities dismisses their connection to place and ignores the systemic disinvestment that has left these communities behind. Rural areas, she argued, deserve the same access to reliable infrastructure like broadband, sewage, and clean water as urban regions.
Rural areas are increasingly at the forefront of climate change, Robertson-Hardy said, with more people moving to rural regions for safety and space.
“The question isn’t whether rural people should move; it’s how we can ensure that they can stay in their homes and thrive, even as new residents move in,” she said. Robertson-Hardy advocated for anti-displacement strategies that protect the heritage and legacy of long-standing rural residents while integrating newcomers in a way that fosters belonging and community cohesion.
To create thriving rural communities, Robertson-Hardy emphasized the importance of asset-based approaches that recognize and build on the strengths already present in these regions. This approach differs from the traditional deficit narrative and provides a way to focus on the strengths of rural communities and Native nations, including tangible and intangible assets that connect to well-being and quality of life.
Persistent poverty and economic development
Myth No. 3: All jobs are good jobs.
There’s also a fallacy that any job is better than no job in rural communities.
“The myth that all jobs are good jobs ignores the fact that in many rural areas, people are working for employers like Dollar General, where wages are low and benefits are minimal,” said Sara Ball, vice president of operations at PRT.
These types of jobs do little to lift people out of poverty or provide long-term economic security. Ball explained that 80% of the 395 counties in persistent poverty are rural, and these regions are often characterized by extraction-based economies that have concentrated wealth and power in the hands of a few, leaving others in generational poverty.
Ball emphasized the need for equitable, long-term investment in these communities.
“Good jobs can only be achieved where real investment helps the economy work for everyone, not just a select few,” she said. It’s not just about bringing in a business to create jobs, but ensuring that these jobs provide stability, benefits, and a living wage. The solution, she said, lies in flexible, operational funding that builds the infrastructure needed to support scalable solutions in rural areas, not just short-term projects that fail to address systemic issues.
Ball also stressed the importance of retaining cultural richness amid economic development. With the growing popularity of rural areas for recreational purposes, there is a real concern about gentrification and displacement.
“How do you include new people without losing what made the community special in the first place?” she asked. This is a challenge not only for rural communities but for the funders and policymakers working in partnership with them.
The Thrive Rural Resource Center: A tool for change
Over the past 15 years, changes in the media industry and landscape have caused more than one in five newspapers to close and over 500 newspapers to close or merge in rural communities specifically, Aspen CSG’s co-authored report notes.
As a result, systemic problems — closures, the shrinking of time and resources for local coverage, and the consolidation of media outlets — have negatively influenced the variation and quantity of stories from and about rural areas published in local and national media. This, in turn, has affected the way rural communities see themselves, their neighbors, and their relationship to the country more broadly. Additionally, the decline in local news is correlated with a decline in voter participation, and three million residents live in the 204 (predominantly rural) counties without a single news source.
One of the many report recommendations is to create partnerships between national outlets and local newsrooms that can help remedy resource shortages and produce better rural stories. It’s key to recognize the potential biases of reporters not familiar with rural areas and balance them by ensuring rural journalists or people with knowledge are a part of the team.
An editor at a national outlet quoted in the report said, “We’re working in collaboration with these (local) teams, and they’ll put us right if they just feel that we’re making an assumption about a particular viewpoint. So the relationships with the local news are helping us avoid those mistakes. They’re the check on our national prejudices, and we trust them — we obviously respect the work they do — and that’s hopefully making our product stronger.”
As journalists, editors, newsrooms, and funders work to share stories by and about rural and Indigenous communities, the Thrive Rural Resource Center serves as an evergreen resource to guide these efforts. The webpage provides data, case studies, and proven practices to help better understand and support rural areas.
As election reporting on rural places intensifies, there’s no better time to correct the myths and misperceptions that harm rural communities and implement innovative solutions to address systemic challenges.
Originally published in Poytner
