RECENT NON-TRADITIONAL RURAL RESIDENTS AND THE URBAN-RURAL INTERFACE

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RECENT NON-TRADITIONAL RURAL RESIDENTS AND THE
URBAN-RURAL INTERFACE
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Alabama Rural Population

• According to the 2000 US Census, now only a
  minority of Alabama rural residents call
  themselves farmers, or live on farms (see next
  slide). We do not know much about the non-farm
  rural residents.

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Alabama Population 2000 (US Census Data)

• Total Population 4,447,100
• Urban Population 2,465,539
• Rural Population 1,981,561
• Rural Non-farm Population 1,927,390
• Farm Population 54,171
• Total Housing Units 1,963,711
• Urban Housing Units 1,080,525
• Rural Housing Units 883,186
• Rural Non-farm Housing Units 862,385
• Farm Housing Units 20,801

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Various New Residents

• Old farmers with small plots of land
• Retired people looking for a cheap place to live
• People on pensions
• Poor people in general, many of whom have moved
  back to the countryside
• Mobile home park residents
• Ex-urbanites with a job in town and 1-30 acres of
  a home site
• Ex-urbanites with 10-200 acres of land, and who
  often raise some livestock
• Hobby farmers and cattle growers

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The Urban-Rural Interface

• In the past 30 years, cities, satellite towns,
  suburban housing developments, and ex-urbanites
  home sites have all expanded rapidly into
  farmland.
• Counties that were once predominantly farming now
  have many non-farming residents living right next
  to farms. The non-farming residents might
  outnumber the farmers.
• The farmers and non-farmers do not always know
  each others way of life, and get along.

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Southeast Fastest Growing Region

• Over 3.26 million acres developed 1992-1997
• Over 652,000 acres per year

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Atlanta in 1972
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Atlanta in 1993