Category: Our Research Reports

    March 2025 By Kelly Asche, Senior Researcher & Marnie Werner, Vice President of Research & Operations Click here for a printable version of the report. It seems that Minnesota’s regions continue to pit themselves against each other when discussing population growth—specifically, population migration and workforce development—but discussions usually lead to confusing and contradictory ...

Each year, the Center for Rural Policy and Development provides an update on various economic and demographic data pertaining to rural Minnesota. As policy discussions concerning the various regions of the state unfold, it is important to understand the past, present, and potential futures of rural regions. This report provides historical data points illustrating how ...

  December 2024 By Sarah Harstad, Ph.D. Click here for a pdf version of this report. Click here for the full version of this report. The future is here Minnesota is facing a threat to the economic and social life of rural areas. According to data from the U.S. Census, 53% of Minnesota business owners ...

Demand for nursing facility beds is growing while the supply is shrinking November 2024 By Kelly Asche, Senior Researcher Click here for a printable version of this report. All of us are guilty, at one point or another, of taking our health for granted. We lean into the belief that we will always be able ...

By Marnie Werner, Vice President of Research Rural families face a number of headwinds when it comes to accessing mental health services for their children. The heart of the problem, the lack of mental health workers in rural areas, is complex, and the solutions aren’t cheap: higher pay for mental health workers, more opportunities for ...

  A report in partnership with the Center for Rural Behavioral Health, Minnesota State University, Mankato. As suicide rates race upward, rural residents struggle with a lack of services, information, and answers. Marnie Werner, VP Research, Center for Rural Policy & Development & Tracie Rutherford Self, Ph.D., Minnesota State University Mankato February 2024 Click here ...

The data show that the choices students make in high school and that paths they take after high school can predictably guide them to specific states of meaningful workforce participation later on. November 2023 By Kelly Asche, Senior Researcher | Marnie Werner, VP of Research & Operations For a print version of this report, click ...

By Marnie Werner Vice President of Research Click for a printable version of this report. According to a Star Tribune article in January 2022, “For the broader Midwest, inflation was 7.5% in December, far above the 5.9% rate in the more heavily populated northeastern states.” Inflation wasn’t even consistent around the state: “Rochester; St. Cloud; ...

By Marnie Werner, Vice President, Research April 26, 2023 Click here for a condensed two-page summary of this report.  Click here for a printable version of this report. Click here to register for our upcoming webinar on Wednesday, May 3, 2:30 pm. In January, Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa was the only reporter left at the St. Cloud ...