MONROE - Green County is no longer considered a rural county, according to a USDA economic research service report released May 24.
In February, the USDA released a report that revised the definition of rural to fewer than 50,000 people. But the report in May has Green County identified as an urban county.
Lafayette County is recognized as a rural, farming county, but it is surrounded by urban counties and rural manufacturing counties. Its closest farming neighbor is two counties away in Iowa.
Across the nation, rural counties as a whole have declined in population for the first time between 2010 and 2012, according to John Cromartie, geographer in the USDA Economic Research Service.
According to Cromartie's maps, Lafayette County's population is still growing but at less than 2 percent between 2010-2012. Counties to the south and west of it have had declining populations. Lafayette County's growth was at the same pace in 2004-2006.
More specifically, by U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Lafayette County grew 0.1 percent between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2012.
But other southern-tier Wisconsin counties like Rock, Green, and Iowa, even though considered to be urban, are estimated to have grown less than one-half of one percent during the same period, while Dane County grew more than 3 percent.
Rural counties are now home to only 15 percent of the U.S. population, about 46.2 million people, spread across 72 percent of the land area.
Population growth from natural change (births minus deaths) has caused part of the population decrease. But net migration contributed a greater part, caused by a slowdown in suburban and exurban development. Population growth in rural areas with recreation-based economies has also slowed in response to the housing-market crisis and the recession, Cromartie reported.
Aging Populations
The population of the United States is getting older, as elderly have lived longer and birth rates have declined. But some areas are becoming younger, according to Alexa Jones-Puthoff, chief of the Population Estimates Branch of the U.S. Census Bureau, in a report released Friday, June 14.
In southern Wisconsin, the portion of the population aged 65 and over is less than 20 percent.
Green County population is about 36,900 people. In July 2012, the Census Bureau estimated 5,900 people were over the age of 65 - about 16 percent. Since the April census of 2010, that number has increased 7.11 percent. An estimated 390 more seniors live here now, but the total population has increased 0.18 percent.
In Lafayette County, the seniors' numbers rose from 2,600 to 2,710, an increase of 5 percent, out of a total population of 16,800 between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2012.
Lafayette County's 18- to 64-year-old population segment rose from 9,880 to 9,945, or 0.8 percent (59 individuals) during the same period, but for those under 18 years, the population dropped 3 percent from 4,350 to 4,200, meaning the county lost about as many children in its population as it gained in adults over the 2.5 years.
In the same time span, Green County lost an estimated 287 children in its population or about 3.2 percent, and 37 adults ages 18-64 or 0.17 percent. The population of children declined from about 9,000 to 8,700. Adults under 65 stayed about the same, 22,400 individuals.
According to the US Census Bureau, states in the northeast, around the Great Lakes and the west coast are aging the most. Younger people are finding the middle part of the county from Montana and the Dakotas to Texas and Utah the place to be.
Oil and gas boom is driving population growth in parts of the Great Plains. Williams County and Stark County, of North Dakota, are among the top 10 fastest growing counties in the U.S.
Across the U.S., the median age of the Hispanic population is 28 years, with 33 percent under the age of 18. The black population's median age is 31 years, with 29 percent under 18 years. Asian population has an median age of 33, with 26 percent under 18. Whites, non-Hispanics have a median age of 43, and 20 percent are under 18 years of age.
Diverse Populations
Racial diversity is growing among all counties in the area. The white population - including Hispanics - has been a declining or the slowest-growing portion of the population in Dane, Green, Rock, Iowa and Lafayette counties in the past 2.5 years.
Dane County saw a rise in all races: 2.5 percent for whites, 4.6 percent for blacks, 7.8 percent for American Indian, 9.5 percent for Asian, and 6.7 percent for Native Hawaiian or Pacific Rim. Mixed races increased by 10 percent.
By comparison, Green County's white population dropped slightly, 0.05 percent and lost 8.3 percent of its Hawaiian/Pacific Rim population. American Indian population rose 2.4 percent and Asian population rose 9.35 percent. African Americans rose 21.4 percent, equal to 30 individuals. Mixed races grew by 11.5 percent.
Lafayette County also saw a decrease in its white population, falling by 0.24 percent. Populations of American Indian rose by 22.1 percent and Asian by 20.7 percent. The black population rose 8.5 percent. Mixed races grew by 21.2 percent. Hawaiian/Pacific Rim population held steady.
In Rock County, populations of Hawaiian/Pacific Rim and Asian grew the most: 8.75 percent and 7.5 percent respectively. American Indian rose 2.4 percent, and mixed races grew 5.05 percent. Black dropped 0.36 percent and whites dropped 0.13 percent.
In February, the USDA released a report that revised the definition of rural to fewer than 50,000 people. But the report in May has Green County identified as an urban county.
Lafayette County is recognized as a rural, farming county, but it is surrounded by urban counties and rural manufacturing counties. Its closest farming neighbor is two counties away in Iowa.
Across the nation, rural counties as a whole have declined in population for the first time between 2010 and 2012, according to John Cromartie, geographer in the USDA Economic Research Service.
According to Cromartie's maps, Lafayette County's population is still growing but at less than 2 percent between 2010-2012. Counties to the south and west of it have had declining populations. Lafayette County's growth was at the same pace in 2004-2006.
More specifically, by U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Lafayette County grew 0.1 percent between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2012.
But other southern-tier Wisconsin counties like Rock, Green, and Iowa, even though considered to be urban, are estimated to have grown less than one-half of one percent during the same period, while Dane County grew more than 3 percent.
Rural counties are now home to only 15 percent of the U.S. population, about 46.2 million people, spread across 72 percent of the land area.
Population growth from natural change (births minus deaths) has caused part of the population decrease. But net migration contributed a greater part, caused by a slowdown in suburban and exurban development. Population growth in rural areas with recreation-based economies has also slowed in response to the housing-market crisis and the recession, Cromartie reported.
Aging Populations
The population of the United States is getting older, as elderly have lived longer and birth rates have declined. But some areas are becoming younger, according to Alexa Jones-Puthoff, chief of the Population Estimates Branch of the U.S. Census Bureau, in a report released Friday, June 14.
In southern Wisconsin, the portion of the population aged 65 and over is less than 20 percent.
Green County population is about 36,900 people. In July 2012, the Census Bureau estimated 5,900 people were over the age of 65 - about 16 percent. Since the April census of 2010, that number has increased 7.11 percent. An estimated 390 more seniors live here now, but the total population has increased 0.18 percent.
In Lafayette County, the seniors' numbers rose from 2,600 to 2,710, an increase of 5 percent, out of a total population of 16,800 between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2012.
Lafayette County's 18- to 64-year-old population segment rose from 9,880 to 9,945, or 0.8 percent (59 individuals) during the same period, but for those under 18 years, the population dropped 3 percent from 4,350 to 4,200, meaning the county lost about as many children in its population as it gained in adults over the 2.5 years.
In the same time span, Green County lost an estimated 287 children in its population or about 3.2 percent, and 37 adults ages 18-64 or 0.17 percent. The population of children declined from about 9,000 to 8,700. Adults under 65 stayed about the same, 22,400 individuals.
According to the US Census Bureau, states in the northeast, around the Great Lakes and the west coast are aging the most. Younger people are finding the middle part of the county from Montana and the Dakotas to Texas and Utah the place to be.
Oil and gas boom is driving population growth in parts of the Great Plains. Williams County and Stark County, of North Dakota, are among the top 10 fastest growing counties in the U.S.
Across the U.S., the median age of the Hispanic population is 28 years, with 33 percent under the age of 18. The black population's median age is 31 years, with 29 percent under 18 years. Asian population has an median age of 33, with 26 percent under 18. Whites, non-Hispanics have a median age of 43, and 20 percent are under 18 years of age.
Diverse Populations
Racial diversity is growing among all counties in the area. The white population - including Hispanics - has been a declining or the slowest-growing portion of the population in Dane, Green, Rock, Iowa and Lafayette counties in the past 2.5 years.
Dane County saw a rise in all races: 2.5 percent for whites, 4.6 percent for blacks, 7.8 percent for American Indian, 9.5 percent for Asian, and 6.7 percent for Native Hawaiian or Pacific Rim. Mixed races increased by 10 percent.
By comparison, Green County's white population dropped slightly, 0.05 percent and lost 8.3 percent of its Hawaiian/Pacific Rim population. American Indian population rose 2.4 percent and Asian population rose 9.35 percent. African Americans rose 21.4 percent, equal to 30 individuals. Mixed races grew by 11.5 percent.
Lafayette County also saw a decrease in its white population, falling by 0.24 percent. Populations of American Indian rose by 22.1 percent and Asian by 20.7 percent. The black population rose 8.5 percent. Mixed races grew by 21.2 percent. Hawaiian/Pacific Rim population held steady.
In Rock County, populations of Hawaiian/Pacific Rim and Asian grew the most: 8.75 percent and 7.5 percent respectively. American Indian rose 2.4 percent, and mixed races grew 5.05 percent. Black dropped 0.36 percent and whites dropped 0.13 percent.