McDowell Memo: The 3 true Americas

THE 3 TRUE AMERICAS

“Rural areas cover 97 percent of the nation’s land area but contain 19.3 percent of the population (about 60 million people),” Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson said. “By combining five years of survey responses, the American Community Survey provides unequaled insight into the state of every community, whether large or small, urban or rural.” (https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/cb16-210.html)

“Most adults in both rural and urban areas owned their own homes but the percentage was higher in rural areas (81.1 percent compared with 59.8 percent). Adults in rural areas were also more likely to live in single-family homes (78.3 percent compared with 64.6 percent) and live in their state of birth (65.4 percent compared with 48.3 percent). Veterans comprised 10.4 percent of the population of adults in rural areas compared with 7.8 percent of adults in urban areas.”

Additional findings showed: (see infographic for more information)

·         About 13.4 million children under the age of 18 lived in the rural areas of the nation.

·         Children in rural areas had lower rates of poverty (18.9 percent compared with 22.3 percent) but more of them were uninsured (7.3 percent compared with 6.3 percent). A higher percentage of own children in rural areas lived in married-couple households (76.3 percent compared with 67.4 percent). ("Own children" includes never-married biological, step and adopted children of the couple.)

·         Compared with households in urban areas, rural households had lower median household income ($52,386 compared with $54,296), lower median home values ($151,300 compared with $190,900), and lower monthly housing costs for households paying a mortgage ($1,271 compared with $1,561). A higher percentage owned their housing units “free and clear,” with no mortgage or loan (44.0 percent compared with 32.3 percent).

·         States with the highest median household incomes in rural areas were Connecticut ($93,382) and New Jersey ($92,972) (not statistically different from each other). The state with the lowest rural median household income was Mississippi ($40,200). Among rural areas, poverty rates varied from a low in Connecticut (4.6 percent) to a high in New Mexico (21.9 percent).

In New York State only Hamilton County can claim to be truly rural, Tioga is mostly Rural and Broome is Urban .

What does all this mean that there are 2 or maybe even 3 Americas, The urban America that is overwhelmingly liberal, Democratic and much more wealthy. There is the mostly rural or suburban America that is impacted by the costs of running state and federal government the most and gets much less state or federal funds. Finally, there is true rural America where people have to travel hours for medical care where most of the countries food and other materials are grown or harvested.

Each of these areas have unique religious , cultural and economic preferences and issues. So how does this country survive by balancing each with both direct population based government ( the House ) with balanced representation ( the Senate) each state getting the same number of votes Finally the rural areas are given equal representation due to its control of resources.   Guess the Constitution got it right !!

2016 Voting Differences