Rural America Population and Demographics Myths : The Indicator from Planet Money Rural communities are sometimes perceived as farmland with a homogenous population, but economist Gbenga Ajilore helps us explain the demographic and economic diversity within Rural America.

Myths And Realities Of America's Rural Economy

Myths And Realities Of America’s Rural Economy

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Cory Ryan/Getty Images
(Photo by Cory Ryan/Getty Images)
Cory Ryan/Getty Images

Economist Gbenga Ajilore has been studying the economy of rural America for a long time, and when he speaks with people who are not from rural America, he finds that they often have the wrong impression. He commonly sees three assumptions that people make: 1) Rural America is all white 2) Rural America is all about farming, and 3) Rural America is dying.

Gbenga's research on rural America has been focused on correcting these assumptions. And he now works as a senior advisor at the Department of Agriculture to hopefully prevent those false assumptions from misguiding policymakers. On The Indicator: in case policymakers or anyone else wants a shortcut and just get everything they need to know in a ten-minute podcast, we are having a chat with Gbenga about the myths and realities of America's rural economy.

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