Examines commuting flows between metropolitan central cities, other metropolitan areas, nonmetropolitan areas, and other rural areas. Commuting in 1980 was predominately toward larger places in the rural-urban hierarchy, and particularly from rural areas and the other metropolitan category to cities. Differences in commuting flows by gender,…

Annual nonmetro population growth was lower in 1980-88 than in 1970s, but agricultural and manufacturing counties showed some recovery in 1986-88. Retirement counties grew at twice national rate during 1980s, underscoring diversity in nonmetro population trends across regions. Rural outmigration pattern was diverse with a net national balance to…

Found a divergence of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan fertility rates in the 1970-80 decade but renewed convergence since 1980. Metro-nonmetro differences widened in that nonmetro women 20-24 years of age had higher rates of first and second births but also in that metro women over 30 years of age had higher rates of first and second births. (KS)

Uses 1950-90 census data to examine population trends in six northern Plains and Rocky Mountain states. Finds that, except for the rural turnaround of the 1970s, metropolitan counties grew faster than nonmetropolitan; nonmetropolitan counties containing larger communities grew in all four decades; and counties with smaller communities lost…