The growing statewide interest in rebuilding Wisconsin’s rural and non-metro economies and communities is driven by the realization that the wellbeing of these areas is essential to the future prosperity of the state as a whole.
Nearly a million Wisconsin residents reside in areas with limited access to services and opportunities most of us view as essential. These 948,592 men, women and (to a lesser extent) children live in 32 counties classified as “rural,” a designation that for generations conjured up visions of bucolic small towns and farms and close-knit families, but that now also raises serious concerns for workers and families about the ability to access health care, education, employment and public safety.
Covering nearly half of the state’s land mass, these more rural areas serve as home to just 16% of the state’s population. More than one in four (27%) of this rural population is 65 or older compared to 16% for the non-rural portion of the state. All are grappling with workforce shortages and eroding tax bases, and what’s driving the growing statewide interest in addressing the need for rural resurgence in Wisconsin is a concern that the problems plaguing these most rural counties will spread rapidly unless addressed now.
More specifically, there are 18 counties that show up on the Rural-Urban continuum charts as non-metro areas. These counties contain nearly twice as many residents as the 32 most rural counties (almost 2 million people) and cover about 23% of the state’s land mass. Combined, these 50 rural and non-metro counties account for 68% of the state’s land mass in which half of the state’s population is grappling with workforce shortages and eroding tax bases that are, or could in the near future, affect access to health care, education, employment and public safety.
The magnitude, reach and severity of the challenges facing non-metro and rural areas has captured the attention of community and regional leaders, local government officials and policy makers across Wisconsin and is leading to serious engagement with the question of how best to achieve rural resurgence as quickly as possible.
There is a general recognition that rural revitalization requires increasing population, achieving greater diversification of the existing local/regional economy and identifying more sustainable funding mechanisms for critical public services. That said, there is also a growing appreciation for the fact that making progress on each of those fronts requires sensitivity to local needs, abilities, and willingness to accommodate change.
Across the country, local, regional and state public- and private-sector leaders are working on innovative strategies and producing intriguing new approaches to find the right balance between meeting rural resurgence requirements and sensitivity to local needs and abilities.
In recognition of the important role being played in the rural resurgence movement by Wisconsin elected officials, business executives and community leaders, Competitive Wisconsin, Inc. is co-hosting with Centergy, Inc. and the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce a Rural Resurgence Action Accelerator to highlight the challenges and opportunities that exist and showcase key examples of what can be done.
CWI’s action accelerator efforts are supported by American Family Insurance, the Wisconsin Counties Association, and Wood Communications Group.
