Virginia is urbanizing at a faster rate than the rest of the country.
Back in 1900, fewer than one in five Virginians lived in urban areas. But now more than three quarters of the state’s population could be classified as urban.
“Part of this involves migration of people from rural areas to urban areas for jobs and for economic opportunity. But part of it also involves urban sprawl,” says Kathryn Crespin, a research analyst at the Univerity of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
In other words a lot of land that had been rural 100 years ago is now suburban or exurban as urban areas radiate out from downtown areas. And, Virginia’s rate of urbanization has outpaced the national average, setting a strong trend for the near future.
But what will happen 100 years from now? Crespin says it’s tough to say.
“Right now it shows no signs of letting up," she says. "But who’s to say? And that’s one of the interesting questions demographers have is what will the greater demographic transition look like in the future? Will it ever involve people moving back into rural communities? Right now it seems doubtful.”
For rural areas, this may end up meaning a change in priorities — shifting resources away from schools and more toward caring for a growing number of seniors.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
