CHANGING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, FAMILY-STRUCTURE, AND POVERTY IN RURAL-AREAS

Instrustrial restructuring in the 1980s ushered in a new pattern of gr owing economic diversity over geographic space. The objective of this study is to examine the extent and etiology of changing spatial inequa lity between and within metropolitan (metro) and nonmetropolitan (nonm etro) areas, as measured by increasing or decreasing county poverty ra tes. Results based on data from the 1980 and 1990 census summary tape files suggest several conclusions. First, poverty rates increased more rapidly in nonmetro than metro counties during the 1980s; historical patterns of metro-nonmetro economic convergence slowed over the past d ecade. Second, poverty rates tended to decline in nonmetro counties wi th traditionally high rates of poverty, thus providing counter-evidenc e to arguments suggesting that the gap between traditionally poor and nonpoor nonmetro counties has widened. Third, spatial differences in p overty rates and relative increases in county poverty rates over the 1 980s were most strongly associated with women's employment and headshi p status. The results raise questions about the extent to which tradit ional rural economic development strategies address the potentially de leterious economic effects of rising percentages of poor female-headed families.