A snapshot of rural America.

• Author: Frazzini, Kevin
• Position: STATESTATS - Statistical data

The continuing struggles of rural America--population loss along with higher poverty rates and lower educational attainment than urban areas--are very real, but there are bright spots, according to recent data from the Agriculture Department.

The rural unemployment rate fell by at least a full percentage point in each of the last two years, paralleling the decline in the urban rate. Rural employment, though still below its prerecession levels, grew by 1 percent in the year ending in mid-2015. And, although overall rural population has declined by 116,000 people in the last four years, some rural counties have grown--about 700 of them together added more than 400,000 residents between 2010 and 2014. Many of the counties experiencing growth are blessed with scenic beauty (in the Rocky Mountains and the southern Appalachians) or abundant energy resources (in the northern Great Plains).

In educational attainment, the share of rural adults with a four-year college degree increased by 4 percent between 2010 and 2014. Overall, more adults in urban areas have four-year degrees, but the share of adults who have completed some college or who have an associate degree is now greater in rural than in urban areas.

Recovery Road

Rural employment continues to grow, though it has yet to return to its 2007 prerecession peak. In contrast, urban employment...