Distribution of America’s Population
The distribution of America’s population has been dramatically impacted by urbanization, which refers to the process of moving populations from rural areas into cities or other industrialized places. Cities are defined differently across countries, but most include a central business district with commercial services surrounded by residences that are typically more sparse and less crowded. In contrast, rural areas are primarily agricultural in nature, with residents living a more nomadic lifestyle with their families, often traveling for work.
As a result of rapid industrialization after World War II, most of the America population now lives in cities. In fact, only four states have a rural majority today, while the western part of the country is the most heavily urbanized, with some regions exceeding 90% in this regard.
In addition to providing a wide range of consumer goods, services and entertainment, urban centers also act as wholesale and transportation hubs for smaller communities. They offer a greater variety of professional and educational opportunities, concentrate financial service provision and often focus government functions for the larger area they serve.
How Has Urbanization Impacted the Distribution of America’s Population?
As these factors become more prevalent, people seek out urban living. However, it is not necessarily true that those who prefer city life are the only ones who choose to live there. For example, suburban and exurban areas have seen healthy growth rates in recent years, while many city cores have lost population as people move back to the city.
One explanation for this trend is the rise of technology. Advances in computer communication allow people to telecommute, working from home and remaining in constant contact with colleagues around the world. In addition, advances in mobile applications have made it possible to perform a wide range of tasks from virtually any location, making many jobs essentially location independent.
In the past, economic conditions have largely determined how much of a region’s population is urban. For example, the Great Depression saw the number of people who lived in rural or isolated regions decline as the cost of living rose and employment was scarce. On the other hand, economic prosperity in the booming decades leading up to the Great Recession saw many people migrate back to big cities and major metro areas.
This has been a dynamic process, with large metropolitan areas experiencing the fastest growth and smaller cities and non-metro regions losing population. In particular, the recovery from the Great Recession has seen suburban and exurban growth rates climb while cities have experienced a decline in population. These trends are likely to continue. In the future, it will be interesting to see whether technological and demographic changes will further shape the nation’s urbanization patterns. As it does so, the balance between urban and rural will shift further in favor of the former. As a result, even more of the United States will have a city-centric population in coming years.