As alluded to here, it’s not just Pennsylvania.
“Across rural Pennsylvania, there is a deepening sense of fear about the future as population loss accelerates. The sharp decline has put the state at the forefront of a national discussion on the viability of the small towns that have long been a pillar of American culture.” - Tim Craig
https://apple.news/AfyM5aCplTum0smGPI17lFQ
@BrianJopek I grew up right around the corner from the town profiled in this article. Going back to visit my hometown is every bit as sad as this article makes it seem. Everyone there is 100% aware of the decay happening around them, and they are all equally unrealistic about what the future holds for the area. They all want to believe that a billionaire is going to just show up and open a factory with tons of great jobs, and everything will be fine.
@seedyh It’s becoming, has been, such a problem for rural areas across the country I’m surprised the national media hasn’t really picked up on it on a larger scale. Oneida County here in Wisconsin where I live and Vilas County next door have two of the oldest populations in the state. Primarily tourism-driven, there’s housing issues, growing lack of trades people (builders, plumbers, electricians, etc) and it’s impacting health care big time. So many aspects involved.