Who stays in rural areas? Understanding gender differences in location decisions among millennials in the United States

Abstract

This study investigates the factors associated with millennials' past, current and future rural staying, and compares rural with urban stayers, with a particular focus on gender differences. It examines residential choices through three attributes of the millennial generation: proficiency in using digital tools, a strong inclination toward environmental issues, and a desire for work‐life balance. Using data from the North Central Region of the United States (NCR‐Stat: Baseline Survey 2022), the study employed logistic regression and independent t‐tests for data analysis. The findings reveal that the importance of internet availability plays a shifting role in rural staying behaviour throughout millennials' life stages. Millennials who grew up in rural areas tend to place less importance on internet availability than their urban counterparts, but for those planning to remain in rural areas, a reliable internet connection becomes significantly more valuable. Prioritizing outdoor spaces is positively associated with current rural residency, while a preference for low pollution levels is linked to a higher likelihood of residing in urban areas. Higher life satisfaction is significantly associated with both past and current rural living, though rural women report lower satisfaction than men. The gender‐specific analysis also indicates that millennial women place significantly more importance on internet availability, low pollution levels, and outdoor spaces than men. These findings extend existing knowledge of past, current and future staying behaviour in rural areas by focusing on a specific group of stayers and highlighting the complexity of staying behaviour and its implications for rural development.