Population loss through net outmigration is endemic to many rural areas. Over a third of nonmetro counties lost at least 10 percent of their population through net outmigration over 1988-2008. Some of these counties have had very high poverty rates, substantial loss in manufacturing jobs, and...

Demand is growing for a statistically based, nationally consistent definition of frontier territory, one that is adjustable within a reasonable range and applicable in different research and policy contexts. The need arises from Congressional mandates affecting rural health programs and from...