Your Source for NPR News & Music
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Small Town Boom

NPR

There's a commonly-heard narrative about small towns in rural areas of the United States: that they are in a state of terminal decline. A recent NPR poll found that is simply not true. Some areas are in a slump, sure, but many others are seeing a resurgence, driven by resettlement from urban areas, government programs designed to regenerate disadvantaged towns, and advances in technology.

NPR reporter Kirk Siegler spent some time in the town of Hotchkiss, Colo, which was devastated when two of the region's three coal mines closed down. Today, however, the town is thriving.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: Twitter/ Facebook.Subscribe to our show onApple Podcasts, PocketCasts and NPR One.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Kirk Siegler
As a correspondent on NPR's national desk, Kirk Siegler covers rural life, culture and politics from his base in Boise, Idaho.
Paddy Hirsch
Related Stories