Will The Rust Belt Ever Rebound? (job market, college, income)
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Ok, throw in those central cities to my original amount as well except Milwaukee, Grand Rapids and Baltimore. Baltimore had other issues, but it's not really a rust belt city, or in the region. Milwaukee had issues like Pittsburgh, etc. - but it's hardly on any level of Detroit or Cleveland. Milwaukee is actually doing pretty well, and never fell as hard as other cities. Grand Rapids has been booming pretty well since the 1990's. It's certainly the shining star of Michigan really - and not a rust belt place.
Those central areas have around 1,400,000 people. The prior places I listed had a population of 1,500,000 people.
That's 3 million people living in the central cities within a region (larger now, I was noting the Midwest, now we're bringing in Penn. and Upstate NY) of tens of millions.
It's around 3% of the total population. Of course there are multiple smaller areas within those states that are "rust belt" as well, but overall a pretty vast majority of people within the dreaded "RUST BELT" regions do not live in depressed run down inner city or dead areas. Lots of people left those areas already, and that's the reason they are so poor today. Most people live in the much healthier and upbeat suburbs, or places like Chicago, Indy, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Des Moines, Madison, Omaha, Columbus, etc. that are doing ok given the economy.
Anyway, blah blah. Just a random comment that people hear Rust Belt, and they make it come off like it's this homogeneous area of tens of thousands of square miles where everything is run down and depressing/sad.
There are points within these regions that are like that, but it's far far far from widespread/universal.
The Milwaukee metro alone has more than 1.6 million people.
Are you nuts?
They all took major hits.
I'm not saying that any of it is depressing or sad. Nowhere did I say that.
Edit: NEVERMIND! I thought you said that the major midwest cities were 2% of the NATIONAL population, not the regional!
The Rust Belt will make a comeback, there's no question about it. It's bound to happen sometime.
I think this decade might be it for some reason. At this point everywhere has at least stopped the bleeding in the surrounding areas and the only declining area now is the Eastern Great Lakes area from Northern Indana to Western New York. The likely reason will be a new generation stepping up who at this point don't remember the good times so they won't be as tied to the past.
I think this decade might be it for some reason. At this point everywhere has at least stopped the bleeding in the surrounding areas and the only declining area now is the Eastern Great Lakes area from Northern Indana to Western New York. The likely reason will be a new generation stepping up who at this point don't remember the good times so they won't be as tied to the past.
Even in Western and Central NY, you can find counties that have actually seen an increase in residents or have held relatively steady. Counties like Seneca, Jefferson, Tompkins, Ontario and Madison have seen some growth.
Even in Western and Central NY, you can find counties that have actually seen an increase in residents or have held relatively steady. Counties like Seneca, Jefferson, Tompkins, Ontario and Madison have seen some growth.
those counties have seen very little gains mean while every county around them is losing.
those counties have seen very little gains mean while every county around them is losing.
Not necessarily true and a little gain is still a gain no less. Many of the surrounding counties either are about the same or the losses have been generally slow.
Not necessarily true and a little gain is still a gain no less. Many of the surrounding counties either are about the same or the losses have been generally slow.
more counties in upstate are still losing than gaining.
more counties in upstate are still losing than gaining.
OK, but that still doesn't take away the fact of some that are gaining people and that many counties are actually holding steady or are losing people at a very slow rate.
OK, but that still doesn't take away the fact of some that are gaining people and that many counties are actually holding steady or are losing people at a very slow rate.
judging by my last research, losses in many upstate counties are starting to speed up.
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