This has been going on for years. There are fewer people in western Nebraska or eastern Colorado than in 1890. Ag changes are part of it but the real culprit has been the loss of manufacturing jobs in small towns. The mattress factory, the carburetor plant, the shoe factory have all gone to China. I worked from 07-13 for a national TV distributor. Had 9000 dealers, every small town had a “court square TV /appliance/ furniture” dealer. Most had a rent to own guy, a credit furniture house, and an emporium on the highway that sold all kinds of shit like utility trailers and swamp coolers. that number was half by 2013. Only the really good ones survived, but they’re dying out. Not the biz but the owners. The kids want nothing to do with the small town or the business, and now live in Albuquerque or Denver. They get stuck because it's hard to get loans for a new owner, do they sellboff their inventory and lease or sell the building. smart towns are doing what they can to attract remote workers with moving allowances and housing grants. durango co set the bar and smart towns see it as a cheap date. but you have to have some proximity to a big city, good schools, and a good quality of life. WF is fucked