A really interesting article (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CENSUS_DYING_COUNTIES?SITE=NVREN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT) based on a review of the recent U.S. census shows that one fourth of all U.S. counties are dying off a natural death.  The dying off of these counties is based on an aging population, changing economy, and the downsizing of government spending.  Dying counties are those that experienced more deaths than births in their community over the last ten years.  As rural communities lose jobs from a changing economy, and an aging population, the young that remain in the community often have little incentive to stay.  The dying of communities is part of a larger trend of the shift in population from rural to urban.  I saw an article recently that stated that the majority of the U.S. population is now in urban areas, a trend that is expected to continue.