#5SmartReads - January 6, 2020

Today’s guest curator is Abra Belke! Abra is the editor of Capitol Hill Style and a creator behind Thirtyish and Break Things. She considers herself a “one woman army fighting against business suits with shorts.” Follow her for a dose of reality said in wise words.

Debunking Three Myths About Rural America (Urban)

Rural America is often portrayed as a white, poor, monolith. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In Rural America, Fear About The Future Abound As Fewer Students Go To College (NPR)

Rural Americans are turning away from college. Rising college costs and the lack of white collar jobs in rural places are fueling the trend.

Rural America’s “Brain Drain”: How Student Debt Is Emptying Small Towns (CBS News)

Rural students who do attend college are increasingly forced to move to cities for opportunity. This "brain drain" is decimating rural communities by taking their best and brightest.

Remote Work Can’t Change Everything Until We Fix This $80 Billion Problem (Fast Company)

Some rural communities would like to lure remote workers to their towns, but the lack of decent internet access makes that a challenge, if not an impossibility.

New Homes On The Range: Weary City Dwellers Escape TO Montana, Creating A Property Gold Rush (Washington Post)

But even in towns that have become hot-spots for COVID-refugees from the cities the tensions are high as rising home prices and increases in cost of living make many transplants feel unwelcome.