Key findings
The 2010 update to this demographic research found the following:
- The 2000-2010 migration preferences of all cohorts are remarkably similar to those found between 1990-2000.
- The rural brain gain has continued in the 30-49 age range, albeit slowed.
- External forces have slowed both migration rates.
- Micropolitan counties appear to take on cohort migration traits similar to metropolitan counties.
About this report
Using demographic analysis of data from the Decennial Censuses of 1990, 2000 and 2010, this report updates research that examines migration patterns in and out of rural areas by generational age cohorts. The study brings to light a little-examined phenomenon regarding the migration of people age 30 – 49 into rural areas across Minnesota. Like the earlier report, this research uses Decennial Census data to compare population trends in six age cohorts, studying both in-flows and out-flows of members of each cohort.
This report reviews data from 1990, 2000 and 2010 to chart patterns over time, challenging the narrative of rural decline by looking more closely at specific demographics within the total population, and examining how migration trends vary by age. In addition, this report examines national data, considering both the national and state context of the phenomenon we have termed “the brain gain.”
Reviewed in 2026