Key demographic trends in the rural South over the next decade—the aging of the population as baby boomers enter retirement, continued migration to the South, and rapid increases in shares of Hispanic residents—may have profound consequences for the financing of rural community public services. In this paper, we provide an overview of demographic and economic trends that are expected to influence the ability of rural communities to provide essential public services. In addition, we provide econometric evidence on the impacts that these trends are likely to have on the financing of K-12 education in South Carolina.
