The rural exodus accelerates (Plains, Madison: student loans, unemployment rate, to buy)

[nicname]

this is pretty sad actually.

[chele123]

Despite what statistics show, it's not how I see it living in Clark County. We have numerous new families in our town, Ashland. Many have found us via the internet. This is a great place to raise kids. Several of our homegrown "kids" have returned. I haven't seen many ranches trade hands or sell. A few have sold to hunter groups, and many ranches are making extra income by leasing the hunting rights. Our little hospital is adding new and better diagnosics - we are growing. Of the businesses in our town I know of only one that has either a hiring freeze or has laid off people. An exodus may be happening in other towns/counties, but it's not happening here.

[GraniteStater]

Clark County is also not terribly isolated. It is not a long drive to Dodge City. The counties along the Nebraska border are the ones that have been hurting the longest. They are mostly agriculturally dependent and extremely far from even an Interstate Highway. The southern border counties in Nebraska face the exact same problems.

[Roccaluma]

I am looking for a dying town that has extremely low real estate prices but is still near to at least a Walmart, a few fast food places, and a decent grocery store. What towns would you recommend in these dying areas?

[pvlman]

Originally Posted by [LEFT

denverian[/left];7608145]I wonder what will eventually happen to these counties? You'd think the land would continue to be farmed, so a certain number of people would remain out there.

I fear a tough situation is coming soon for Western Kansas. Agriculture no longer can support it's own generation, much less drive commerce in the little towns. While it's a hated term, the buffalo

commons

concept may have to be revisited, or version of it.

[pvlman]

Originally Posted by [LEFT

Roccaluma[/left];9255206]I am looking for a dying town that has extremely low real estate prices but is still near to at least a

Walmart

, a few fast food places, and a decent grocery store. What towns would you recommend in these dying areas?

I'm a bit puzzled as to what you are really looking for, but you might want to look

in to

Ellis

county KS and surrounding areas.

[quesera]

Ellis County does not have extremely low real estate... not even slightly low. Their home prices have jumped considerably in the past few years. You could always check www.realtor.com after consulting a map to find a general location in which you want to search for a home.

[pioneer88]

That buffalo commons thing is interesting. I'd like to know more about it, more specifics about location etc. How do they plan on deciding which cities to "shut down" or if not how do they plan on keeping the bison in that area only? Or will it be like many different preserves instead of one huge continuous area for them to roam? Also, with our current use of the rivers many of them in the high plains don't carry much water at all. (Darn you colorado! ; ) Surely they won't stop agriculture in the plains all together after all 1 Kansas Farmer feeds "127 people and you" ever year. So how do you suggest we handle this?

Anyway, a lot of rambling I know. Any thougths would be welcomed, especially if you have any inside information.

[itsMeFred]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

That is already happening for the most part. The consolidation of farms and ranches has been so complete that you only have a fewer big players now in some of the frontier counties that are more agriculturally dependent. Also, the out-migration of younger residents takes away future potential capital and growth potential. The people generally vote with their feet, and that is the result.

You've completely nailed it.
I'm a 30-something who is raising a family in the area along the western KS/NE border. Everyone is experiencing severe population loss.
My husband is a cowboy and runs a ranch for one of those "big players." (We will never be able to afford our own.)
There are still family run places, but they are definitely losing ground.

My children currently attend a two-room elementary school. k-6.
In 7th grade they will ride the bus for well over an hour to go to the district's jr-high/high school, 35 miles away. (Our district encompasses five towns in two counties)
The day is rapidly approaching where the two-room "attendance" center in town will be closed and every child will be bussed 35 miles. (Which is an awfully long day for a kindergartner...)

Our small hospitals already have a lot of trouble getting and keeping medical staff and doctors.

[Gunluvver2]

I am more optimistic about the future of rural areas like NW Kansas, SW Nebraska and Eastern Colorado. Yes agriculture is changing. I am one of those that left the area when I graduated from High School in 1964. My Dad sold the farm shortly after but my Grandfather's farm is still in the family. No one in the family is farming it at present but the farm is still intact. One of my cousins and her husband have moved back in to the area and have taken jobs and started a business in a small town. I have plans to move back to the area in two or three years, health permitting. Several of the kids that I grew up with left the area also but are looking at retiring and moving back to the area. These retirees are in their early 60's and most of them have built up a hefty nest egg. I look for several of them to create businesses and bring a few jobs to the area.

Thanks to the INTERNET there are a lot of jobs that can be done in rural areas. Doctors and Health professionals will start migrating to these areas when they realize how much better the quality of life can be in smaller communities. I expect a rebirth of the rural community in these areas.

GL2