'Brain Gain' study: People in 30s, 40s still moving to rural Minnesota

Posted at 1:30 PM on May 16, 2012 by Dave Peters (0 Comments)
Filed under: Rural

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Although the pace has been slowed by an economy that discouraged mobility, people in their 30s and 40s have continued to move to parts of rural Minnesota that otherwise are characterized by populations that are aging and declining, new research shows.

In a study published online today by University of Minnesota Extension, rural sociologist Ben Winchester reports that trends he identified earlier from 1990 and 2000 censuses continue in numbers from the 2010 census.

One shift in the first decade of this century is that even in some outstate counties -- those around Willmar, Mankato and Marshall, for example -- people entering their middle years are moving to more rural counties. In his earlier research, that trend mainly involved people that age leaving the Twin Cities metro area for the rest of the state.

The results add nuance to larger trends of population decline, young people leaving and elderly populations increasing in rural areas. You can find examples and videos of what people in our Public Insight Network told us about going rural by visiting this post.

"While we lose the kids, we gain the people aged 30 to 49 and a lot of these people coming into our rural communities are arriving with high levels of education, with earning power, with experience and with children," Winchester said. "It's counterintuitive."

Winchester's new study, "Continuing the Trend: The Brain Gain of the Newcomers," found similar trends outside Minnesota but cited housing debt and the recession as reasons migration generally slowed down in the country.

The report notes that the "brain drain" of young people continues as people aged 18 to 25 leave home for college and broader horizons. But at the same time, the study found, almost all rural counties in Minnesota saw the number of people in their 30s and 40s rise above what would have been expected had no one moved in. This is a phenomenon Winchester has termed the "brain gain" because it represents people whose careers are in full swing and who bring skills and education to an area.

One example: In Lac qui Parle County in western Minnesota in 2000, there were 883 people between 20 and 39. Ten years later, the county's overall population dropped by 10 percent to 7,259. But that subgroup -- in research language the "cohort" that was by then 30 to 49 years old -- had increased by 15 percent to 1,016. That increase represents the "brain gain."

"I really do feel it," said Pam Lehmann, economic development director for the county. "It feels very much like the existing businesses that are transitioning are transitioning to younger generations."

The lumberyard in Dawson is now run by a young man who moved back to town, she said. "Perfect example of a local boy who went to school, started a career, had a baby and had an opportunity to come home and purchase a thriving business. His wife was not from the area. Both are happy they bought the business and a new home. They've really taken root."

State demographer Susan Brower, who wasn't involved in the research, said she found the results interesting. "This story gets masked by overall population trends." Nonetheless, she said, "there's still population loss just because of the huge out-migration among young people."

Winchester doesn't dispute that. "The kids leaving our communities certainly outnumber those returning." But he thinks the research provides a lesson for rural communities that want to tap into some people's desires to go rural, provided they can "get themselves on the map" for potential new residents.

Why are people moving to rural areas? Typically not for jobs. In surveys of residents who have moved to rural areas and among Public Insight Network members, people cited what they perceive as a higher quality of life, a slower pace, greater security, lower housing costs and a better place to raise children.

"I was born and raised in Minneapolis and did not want to move to a small town," June Kallestad, who moved to Cloquet from the Twin Cities in 1993 when her husband found a job there, told us. "I thought people would be small-minded (in some ways I still see that, but there are small minded people in Minneapolis, too!) and there would be nothing to do. I found out that I LOVE the woods and outdoors. Didn't know that about myself."

Karen Tolkkinnen, a Twin Cities native who lives in Clitherall in Otter Tail County, said, "It's so easy to feel part of the community. You can move to a rural area and it's not long before you're in the grocery store and recognize that lady from church or that guy from the play you saw last weekend. City life can be pretty anonymous, but in the country, you might actually have gone to school with the EMT who gives you CPR, or be an ex-in-law to the township clerk. This familiarity can be good or bad, but so far I've thoroughly enjoyed it."

But not everything goes well. Alyssa Besonen, among those leaving Willmar for a smaller town, Madison, said, she and her husband wanted to simplify their lives. But "it has been a much more difficult transition than I anticipated. Many people who are here grew up and have family connections."

Said Dave Konshok, who moved to his childhood home of Park Rapids after 20 years in the Air Force: "Without a doubt, the biggest challenge of living in rural areas or small towns is economic: making enough money to survive and thrive. It's very unlikely a high-paying job will even exist, let alone be handed to you. You have to dial down your financial expectations, while at the same time be ready to do whatever it takes to survive financially. What I like best about small town life is convenience - everything is close by, whether that's the grocery store or walking paths through the woods. I also love that strong sense of community rarely found elsewhere."

(For a summary of what Public Insight Network members told us and even a couple videos people made for us, see this post by reporter Jennifer Vogel. You can find more comments in this post. And you can even see a couple video rural residents sent us here. Feel free to add your own.)

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Behind the "brain gain:" Ups and downs of going rural

Posted at 11:43 AM on May 16, 2012 by Jennifer Vogel (0 Comments)
Filed under: Broadband, Community Development, Economic Development, Rural

"Growing up in the Twin Cities, I never thought I'd be standing under a tree someday, plucking chickens," said Karen Tolkkinen, who moved to Clitherall, in west central Minnesota, in 2010. "Oh, gosh, I felt sorry for them, especially the last one who kept calling and calling to the other chickens that were already butchered."

Raising poultry is just one of the adjustments Tolkkinen made after moving to her husband's family farm. She eats venison now and plans to generate income by selling produce at a nearby farmer's market. "I didn't realize it would be so hard to make money in rural Minnesota," she wrote in response to a query from MPR's Public Insight Network (PIN).

She is one of the people who represent what University of Minnesota Extension sociologist Ben Winchester calls the "brain gain" in research being published today. For a collection of other MPR News Public Insight Network members' experiences, go here.

"When I visit the city, I see my old friends wearing the latest clothes and they have smart phones with 4G and they go on expensive trips. I didn't realize it at the time, but when I lived in the Twin Cities, I looked down a little at poor people. You know, 'Get a job.' Well, when you're 30 miles from the nearest employer, and gas prices are $3.60 a gallon, and the job only pays $10 an hour, you really have to weigh whether that job is worth it."

And yet, she loves the "peace and beauty" of her new home. "Our farm sounds like a bird sanctuary in the spring. You can walk down the gravel roads for miles without seeing a car. In the winter, the snow stays white. During the summer, the fields shimmer with thick crops of hay or oats or wheat. And at night, the stars are brilliant."

Tolkkinen's experience is similar to that of many people who move from the city to the country. They love the beauty and peace and security. But they tend to have a hard time finding decent paying jobs and don't like to drive the long distances to work, school and shopping.

Winchester posits that while young people continue to leave rural areas for the cities, there is an ongoing countertrend of people in their 30s and 40s moving back. He calls the phenomenon the "brain gain." We'll have more coverage of the report this afternoon, but here's a summary of what people told us.

There are myriad reasons behind these moves to rural Minnesota. People may want to be closer to family and friends. In some cases, they return to look after a sick parent or relative. That's what inspired Jannet Walsh to quit a public relations job in Ocala, Florida and move to tiny Murdock, Minnesota. She made a video for us about the experience, which you can view here.

Sometimes people move to raise families, in the hopes of providing their kids an upbringing similar to their own, in a community where everybody knows everybody. Laura Knudsen moved to Alexandria eight years ago from Minneapolis. "My husband and I were ready to start a family. We had watched my niece and nephew grow up in a small town outstate. After a great deal of discussion we decided we wanted a similar experience for our children. There is a quality to life that is less revolved around material items in smaller areas. We felt that growing up in an area with a stronger sense of community was important when raising our kids."

The notion of freedom and natural pleasures was a big draw for Mike Bubany, a financial analyst who recently moved from Bloomington to Spring Valley, south of the Twin Cities, where he teleworks from his 21-acre property. He appreciates that nobody is looking over his shoulder, as he demonstrates in this video he made for us.

Sometimes, people move to rural areas dragging their feet, only to realize it was the best decision they ever made. "I was born and raised in Minneapolis and did not want to move to a small town," wrote June Kallestad, who moved to Cloquet in 1993. "I thought people would be small-minded...and there would be nothing to do. I found out that I LOVE the woods and outdoors. I didn't know that about myself. I have a lovely quality of life even though I don't make a lot of money. I have everything I need - including a horse! I also didn't know what a joy THAT would be!! I never even dreamed of owning a horse..."

BREAKING INTO THE CROWD

Interestingly, Winchester has found that people who move or return to rural areas tend to have higher incomes and be more civically engaged than longtime locals. That's definitely true of Ann Thompson, who returned to her hometown of Milan, in western Minnesota, seven years ago after living overseas for 18 years. "When I left, I didn't necessarily think I would come back," she said. "I just thought I wanted to see the world."

She moved back to spend time with her aging parents. "I didn't want to live with the regrets of not doing that," Thompson said. Also, "I wanted to start a business. I thought it would be easy to do here." She opened a gift and art shop called Billy Maple Tree's in a building that's been in her family for generations. She volunteers much of her time and teaches English as a second language to the town's growing Micronesian population. "Our lives are frantically busy, but that is our choice," she said.

"In a city it's easy to meld in with everyone and go with the flow. In a small town, your community is what you make it. I'm quite happy to get involved and make things happen. I've been energized by my return."

Michael Dagen, an audio engineer who moved to Hewitt in central Minnesota with his wife after living in Fargo, Duluth and St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, kept to himself at first because he "didn't want to freak people out." But, he said, "It didn't take long to realize we needed to get involved." Now, they've used a grant to repair the local historical museum, are starting a lending library and have launched a music and barter festival that's in its third year.

"There is quite a creative community we're tapping into," Dagen said. "We feel right at home. We feel connected, which is a powerful feeling I've never had before. I imagine it's similar to the first settlers to the area that came because there was opportunity. Land was reasonable. Everybody depended on each other. Nobody had any money, so they would trade their services and goods."

But breaking into a small town's social scene isn't always easy. "It's hard to get to know people," said Amy Hoglin, who moved from a Twin Cities suburb to rural Lake Wilson in 1998. "People are all in their established groups and are not accustomed to welcoming newcomers."

"Meeting people when I first moved here was very difficult," Erica Ellis agreed. She moved to Bemidji from Delaware by way of Missouri 14 years ago. "A lot of people have lived here their whole lives and have established friendships, so breaking in to that was difficult....It is still difficult for me to meet people, because a lot of the social activity around Bemidji is church-centered and I am an atheist. There aren't any groups here for atheists, humanists, etc, so it is hard to find like-minded people. It is also a fairly conservative community and I am a liberal."

Being single doesn't help matters, wrote Cynthia French, who moved to Little Falls from Minneapolis 16 months ago. "People are nice, and it has been easier to make friends than I was told it would be... That said, most of my friendships are with people who have families. I have not found a supportive community for single people and I have to really work to make connections to creative people in my age group (which usually means driving 30 miles to arts events outside of my town)."

IT'S A LONG WAY FROM HERE TO THERE

Cheap housing draws a lot of people to rural Minnesota, judging by Winchester's research and responses to our PIN query. Hoglin wrote that her husband "was missing rural life and wanted to be able to hunt and fish more often. I was definitely not missing rural life, but eventually warmed to the idea of moving back when I realized we could afford to buy an acreage, while we couldn't afford to buy anything in the Twin Cities area."

"There are no decent restaurants," wrote Daniel Triestman, who moved to Eveleth 10 years ago from Philadelphia. "There is no diversity, be it ethnic or intellectual. On the plus-side, my wife and I were able to buy our home for under $12,000. Our family of five lives comfortably for under $30,000 a year."

While housing may be inexpensive, newcomers sometimes find that other aspects of rural living are more costly. "We have to drive to get everywhere or anywhere," wrote Tracie Yule, who moved from Chaska to Belle Plaine a decade ago. "It's expensive. Plus, it takes a long time to get anywhere and it's almost a day trip if we want to go shopping. Also, my husband and I have to commute to work because there aren't a lot of employment opportunities in our area or ones that pay well."

Knudsen, from Alexandria, wrote, "I also didn't expect the cost of living to be so out of balance with the wages in the area. Most of our expenses are the same or higher than living in the Twin Cities yet wages are lower."

French says the rural cost of living is helping push her to move back to the Twin Cities. "The decision is partially social and partially financial," she said. "I cannot sustain myself financially."

The answer for some is to adjust their standards of living and do more for themselves. "Friends from the metro tell me they would love to live in the country, but the jobs don't pay enough," said David Barrett, who moved from Kimball seven years ago to the country near Murdock. "My response is always that you don't need to make as much when your cost of living is less and you become somewhat self-reliant. Our taxes are less, we can't order food and the nearest big box is 35 minutes away. We are also able to cut our costs of living by providing our own heat, much of our own food and not having shopping as a hobby/habit. Living in the country is a luxury within itself."

WORKING AMONG THE TREES

With broadband Internet becoming more common in rural Minnesota, some people telework from home while drawing a paycheck from companies in the Twin Cities or other urban areas. But without an arrangement like that, the job landscape can be bleak.

Wrote Tolkkinen, "A lot of people in the country end up patching together several part-time jobs, so they work without any benefits, which is what I did for several years. After seven years in rural Minnesota, my savings are nearly depleted. I did start my own business four years ago, but finances and access to good health insurance continue to be a struggle. You have to look for different opportunities. You have to ask yourself, what do I have? What can I offer?"

Dave Konshok moved back to his home town of Park Rapids from Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, six years ago after decades in the military. He calls Park Rapids, "a great community in which to raise the family, surrounded by a fabulous natural environment... But I also knew to expect limited economic opportunity: Upon graduating from high school here many years ago, my friends and I dubbed it a 'BYOJ' area - 'Bring Your Own Job'"

"Without a doubt, the biggest challenge of living in rural areas or small towns is economic: making enough money to survive and thrive," he wrote. "It's very unlikely a high-paying job will even exist, let alone be handed to you. You have to dial down your financial expectations, while at the same time be ready to do whatever it takes to survive financially."

Whether someone thrives in rural Minnesota seems to come down to priorities, what's most important in a person's life. Where some see social and economic restrictions, others see new opportunities to connect with people.

"My community is nothing like I expected and everything that I had hoped," wrote Adrienne Sweeney, who moved to Lanesboro in 2002 from the Twin Cities and was raised in Philadelphia. "Growing up in a huge city like Philadelphia, I had no idea what to expect from a small (REALLY small) town. What I have found is that it is one of the most artistically creative places I have ever been... To be able to create a piece of theatre and then have an in-depth discussion about the work with the teller at your bank or your server at the diner the next day is a remarkable experience and makes your work feel so much more real and immediate."

"To be able to participate in a molten iron pour or attend a barn dance or string quartet performance with your neighbors is so inspiring," Sweeney wrote. "I have been more artistically energized here in this town of 750 than any of the 'big cities' I have lived in."

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Why move to rural Minnesota?

Posted at 10:10 AM on May 16, 2012 by Molly Bloom (1 Comments)
Filed under: Community Development, Rural

New University of Minnesota Extension research being published later today shows people in their 30s and 40s continue to move to rural areas that otherwise are experiencing population declines.

So we asked sources in our Public Insight Network why they had moved to (or back to) rural Minnesota and how the experience has been. The benefits and challenges seem to break down into three categories: community, lifestyle and economics. Check out what some of our sources had to say and click on the link at the bottom to add your thoughts:

Community

We wanted our child to have a sense of community and to know all of her classmates. I like knowing that I can count on any of my neighbors in an emergency. I also like the fact that she can run around our neighborhood and I'm not going to worry as much as I would in the city.
-Tracie Yule, moved to Belle Plaine 10 years ago

It has been a much more difficult transition than I anticipated. Many people who are here grew up and have family connections. Our biggest challenge is forming relationships with others in hopes that we can have adult conversation other than amongst each other.
-Alyssa Besonen, moved to Madison, Minn. three years ago

Meeting people when I first moved here was very difficult. A lot of people have lived here their whole lives and have established friendships, so breaking in to that was difficult. But the friends I have made are wonderful. And the easy access to nature and outdoor activities is nice. We have a house on two acres and it's nice to have that kind of space.
-Erica Ellis, moved to Bemidji 14 years ago

My community is nothing like I expected and everything that I had hoped. Growing up in a huge city like Philadelphia, I had no idea what to expect from a small (REALLY small) town. What I have found is that it is one of the most artistically creative places I have ever been. To be able to participate in a molten iron pour or attend a barn dance or string quartet performance with your neighbors is so inspiring. I have been more artistically energized here in this town of 750 than any of the "big cities" I have lived in. People seem actually more open-minded than in the metropolitan areas in which I have lived. Since you know everyone, suffering is more real, as is joy.
-Adrienne Sweeney, moved to Lanesboro 10 years ago

We thought we would live here five years or so and then move on. We have been here fourteen years and now have a seven year-old too. It just became the place we are going to stay at and raise our family, possibly passing on our place to our daughter someday.
-Shawn Simonson, Lake Crystal

It is very isolated. Before having children I hated it here and went to the cities almost every weekend, but since my second child's birth I have enjoyed the time in the country. Is it what I expected? Yes. People are very private and stay to themselves. I don't have many friends, except now have more with children in school and active involvement with that and sports.
-Shannon Peterson, moved to Sleepy Eye 19 years ago

The folks are nice but colder than I expected, it has not been easy to break into the community without relatives or history here. On the other hand, folks have been nice, the home and property are awesome, schools and health care are off the chart good, it is safe and stress-free, and the distance to the Twin Cities would be considered a commute by my old neighbors in California.

There is no perfect place to live. I have also lived in Florida, Virginia, Guam, and San Diego. They have crime, a huge homeless problem, poor local services, poor public schools, bad healthcare for regular people, and everything is super expensive. But Minnesota is not perfect either, "Minnesota Nice" isn't really. It is more like "Minnesota Polite & Passive Aggressive". I wish folks would actually tell me what they think more and worry less about someone getting upset over the truth. That is the dirty little Minnesota secret, if you ask me. But we are staying put, even with as much as we hate the weather! This is a great place, and a great place to live.
-Paul Jensen, Alden

A big challenge is knowing who to trust. We have learned the hard way that those who befriend us right away can have ulterior motives because they have power (real or perceived) in the community and use it to manipulate. What I like the best is being able drive to the Twin Cities (in roughly an hour) to visit friends, which helps me feel less isolated.
-Sarah Lutter, moved to Litchfield seven months ago

We felt that growing up in an area with a stronger sense of community was important when raising our kids. What I didn't consider before moving is what it would be like to live in a non diverse area. We have been shocked at some of the racism we have found. We share the same European heritage as most of the residents and haven't been directly impacted in anyway but it has been difficult to express my concerns about this topic. I want to make sure these attitudes are not passed on to my children. I also didn't expect the cost of living to be so out of balance with the wages in the area.

When I lived in the metro the legislature passed a law limiting the ability of local school districts to tax second homes. As a resident of Minneapolis, it seemed reasonable that a person should not have to pay taxes to a school district that they would not be using. As a resident of the area, I now have a different understanding of the impact of this law. In Alexandria many homes and properties are owned by people outside our area. All that property is blocked from potential taxable revenue to our school district. Yet in order for our area to provide the services and industries those vacationers and seasonal resident relay upon we need to provide quality schools.
-Laura Knudsen, moved to Alexandria eight years ago

I am moving back to the cities. The decision is partially social and partially financial. I cannot sustain myself financially (the cost of living is not really that much different moving to a rural area. My rent is a lot less, but heat is more (I have a larger residence), and all the other bills stay the same). Rural communities don't have the same type of salary ranges as cities for nonprofit workers (not just in the arts), so as a single person, I just can't justify staying here for the job. I am also missing the creative outlets that I had in the city, and want to get back to pursuing my own creative work. I will be returning to the cities in June.
-Cynthia French, moved to Little Falls 16 months ago

Lifestyle
I was definitely not missing rural life, but eventually warmed to the idea of moving back when I realized we could afford to buy an acreage, while we couldn't afford to buy anything in the Twin Cities area. The people are a little more progressive than I remembered them being, but it's hard to get to know people.
-Amy Hoglin, moved to Lake Wilson 14 years ago

"City life" certainly has its advantages in terms of convenience, but I truly prefer a more laid back lifestyle in the country. Reasons include more space between neighbors, fewer regulations on land use, and as odd as it may sound but perhaps my most important factor- use of a private well/septic sytem. I truly cannot stomach the taste (and contaminants) of city water!
-David White, moved to Sauk Rapids six years ago

I was born and raised in Minneapolis and did not want to move to a small town. I thought people would be small-minded (in some ways I still see that, but there are small-minded people in Minneapolis, too!) and there would be nothing to do. I found out that I LOVE the woods and outdoors. Didn't know that about myself. And I have a lovely quality of life even though I don't make a lot of money.
-June Kallestad, moved to Cloquet 19 years ago

The biggest challenge is recalibrating my expectations to a small town. I still miss the dining choices we had in a larger city as well as other shopping options and most of all my running club! What I like the best is how fantastic all the options are for outdoor activities. I can put a kayak on my car and be out on the water in 10 minutes. I can be hiking in the bluffs in 15. On a nice day in the summer, my neighborhood has no traffic; everyone is out doing something.
-Aurora Jacobsen, Winona

It is more than we expected. We absolutely love living where we do. It is so quiet and peaceful. We love that our kids have the oppurtunity to help raise pigs each summer for our own consumption as well as a vegetable garden. We feel fortunate to have our own little piece of heaven far away from the traffic and congestion of the metro area. The biggest challenge is the commute. Most of the year it is not a problem, but winter traveling can be tricky. One thing that has made rural living much easier in recent years is the ability to shop online.
-Terri Barrett, moved to Murdock six years ago

Economics

I was burnt out and tired of the city. I wanted to return to the area I grew up and try apply my experience there. I didn't know specifically what I wanted to or would do. I just knew I wanted to get out of D.C. at that time.

There are big generational issues in rural areas. People in rural areas always say we want our kids to go off to college and then come back and contribute our economy and community in some way. It's not that simple when parents and grandparents are still working and like things "the way they've always been."
-Ben Anderson, moved to Thief River Falls three years ago

You know what's funny, is you visit Minnesota's north woods or lakes region and you see all these cute little shops and think, oh, what a fun place to live. You don't realize that those cute little shops are closed September through May. They make all their money off summer tourists. So when you move there, for most of the year you just see dark windows on Main Street.

No question: The biggest challenge is financial. I didn't realize it at the time, but when I lived in the Twin Cities, I looked down a little at poor people. You know, "Get a job." Well, when you're 30 miles from the nearest employer, and gas prices are $3.60 a gallon, and the job only pays $10 an hour, you really have to weigh whether that job is worth it.

It's so easy to feel part of the community. You can move to a rural area and it's not long before you're in the grocery store and recognize that lady from church, or that guy from the play you saw last weekend. City life can be pretty anonymous, but in the country, you might actually have gone to school with the EMT who gives you CPR, or be an ex-in-law to the township clerk. This familiarity can be good or bad, but so far I've thoroughly enjoyed it.
-Karen Tolkkinen, moved to Clitherall two years ago

It is hard to get some necessities without driving to larger towns. Everything is just a bit more expensive. Worst of all after my company-wide layoff I have found it difficult to find similar work, and the people who live here are underpaid for their skill and education levels.
-Cat Schermeister, moved to Menahga eight years ago

The biggest challenge is lack of broadband Internet. In today's worlds, businesses need broadband. The state really needs to step it up and get broadband to everyone. I think this is one of the biggest failures of Minnesota when it comes to businesses.
-Bryan Hansel, moved to Grand Marais eight years ago

My new community is my old community - I grew up in Park Rapids and am a third-generation resident (my grandfather settled here in the 1930s). So, I knew what to expect: a great community in which to raise the family, surrounded by a fabulous natural environment (the headwaters of the Mississippi lie just 20 miles away from town center). But I also knew to expect limited economic opportunity: upon graduating from high school here many years ago, my friends and I dubbed it a "BYOJ" area - "Bring Your Own Job".

Without a doubt, the biggest challenge of living in rural areas or small towns is economic: making enough money to survive and thrive. It's very unlikely a high-paying job will even exist, let alone be handed to you. You have to dial down your financial expectations, while at the same time be ready to do whatever it takes to survive financially. What I like best about small town life is convenience - everything is close by, whether that's the grocery store or walking paths through the woods. I also love that strong sense of community rarely found elsewhere.
-Dave Konshok, moved to Park Rapids six years ago

Have you moved to (or back to) rural Minnesota? Share your experiences here -- or in the comments.

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