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Abstract
By: László J. Kulcsár and Benjamin C. Bolender
Population aging, defined as an increasing proportion of
people age 65 and above, is a general demographic trend in postindustrial
societies, which has a number of socioeconomic implications both at the
national and local levels of social organization. Aging also occurs unevenly in
space, and it has resulted in a profound change in rural America, especially in
the Great Plains. Kansas, similarly to the Midwest in general, is not a typical
retirement destination. Thus, aging in our state is mainly aging in place.
This paper takes the perspective of social demography to
investigate long-term trends of aging in rural Kansas. Using county level
historical statistics and an in-depth analysis of the 2000 Census, we put these
trends into the context of aging in the West North Central region and the
United States in general. The paper also addresses the contemporary community
development challenges posed by aging in place. |
