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State Economist Amanda Rector and Senior Research Analyst Megan Bailey recently published “Are We There Yet? Changing Migration Patterns in Rural Maine and Implications for Long-Term Population Growth” in the Maine Policy Review, Vol. 34, Issue 2 Rural Maine.
This study models three migration scenarios to consider what rural Maine’s population future could look like. If recent growth persists, it could help ease workforce shortages and revitalize communities long challenged by demographic and economic decline. If it proves temporary, rural Maine may continue to grapple with an aging population and shrinking labor force, exacerbating socioeconomic pressures. It’s a timely analysis with real implications for the state.