Economy
Maps: How Wisconsin’s population is shifting away from rural areas, by county
County-by-county comparisons of how population shifted in Wisconsin and in the U.S. between 2000 and 2010.
Immigration
Hispanic immigrants help rural county stave off population dip
Dairy farmer Jeremy Meissner and farm manager Huron Mireles are part of the reason Clark County’s population is growing while nearby counties’ levels are declining. Part three of three in the Center’s Rural Slide series.
Economy
A young mayor strives to rebuild jobs lost in paper mills
In Wood County, where almost half of the paper industry jobs disappeared during the past decade, local leaders are using a regional approach to boost existing industries. Part two of three in the Center’s Rural Slide series.
interactive map
Rural and remote Wisconsin counties lost the most people between 2000 and 2010
Check the boxes below to compare Wisconsin’s population losses with those in other states. Toggle between the Wisconsin and U.S. tabs to view nationwide rural and urban population trends and see local industry for the top 100 U.S. counties losing population. Powered by Tableau
Economy
Rural Slide: Audio slideshows
In the three-day Rural Slide series, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism explores rural population losses in three Wisconsin counties — and potential statewide solutions. Below, short profiles of some of the young people interviewed by the Center’s Lukas Keapproth and Mario Koran.
Aging
Would young people stay in rural area for mining jobs?
In Iron County, which lost one of every seven residents from 2000 to 2010, residents say a controversial taconite mine may be the only way to reverse devastating population loss. Part one of three in the Center’s Rural Slide series.