Category: Our Research Reports

March 2016  As Minnesota legislators once again debate the needs and opportunities of broadband, communities large and small across Greater Minnesota wait. It’s not a luxury anymore, one of many options to bring us news and the daily weather. Rural communities understand all too well that today adequate, affordable broadband is crucial when it comes ...

Each year, the Center assembles the latest demographic and economic data to create the State of Rural Minnesota report. Most of the data used for the presentation can also be found at our Atlas of Minnesota Online. (January 2016) To download the full report click on the link below: State of Rural Minnesota Presentation

Public transit is important to all communities across the state, but the form it takes and who uses it varies a lot depending on location. This article and the accompanying fact look at the top things to know about public transit in Minnesota, including who operates it, how it’s funded, and most importantly, who uses ...

The uncertainty of where individual wealth will end up as baby boomers pass their assets on to the next generation has raised alarms about the future of our small towns. In this article, Ben look’s at wealth in a broader way, at the community rather than individual level. Looking at wealth this way shows that ...

For most parts of the state, the coming workforce squeeze is already here. A smaller pool of workers means businesses—and communities—will be competing for their attention. Communities around Minnesota are starting to work on how to make their towns the places people want to move to. But part of making a community a great place ...

It’s a demographic phenomenon planners have been warning about for years, and now it’s here. By 2035, Minnesota’s 65+ population is expected to grow by 93%, or 784,000 seniors, while losing 5% of its workforce-age population, or 170,000 people ages 15-64 as Baby Boomers pass the 65-year mark. Here’s the story.

Demographic changes in Greater Minnesota have been hard on local grocery stores. Between 2000 and 2013, Greater Minnesota lost 14% of its grocery stores. Read the fact sheet on the reasons, the implications, and some possible strategies for new models.

The age wave we’ve been expecting for the last 30 years is here now, and now communities both in Greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro are facing the problem of where to find workers, particularly in the field of long-term care. This presentation outlines the issues, some takeaways, and some suggestions on what can ...

The State of Freight Rail sums up the key relevant points of the The state of rail: Untangling the issues that you can download and print out.