DUNBAR, Wis. (NBC 26) -- A new report from Forward Analytics shows a majority of rural areas throughout Wisconsin are losing people.
Dale Knapp with Forward Analytics said Marinette County is one of the areas that has seen a decrease in population in rural areas.
Dunbar, Wisconsin is a town in Marinette County that has seen a decrease in population. According to the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration, Dunbar saw a 42% decrease in people from 2010 to 2019.
David Schultz and his wife have lived in Dunbar for nearly 33 years. They own the North Country Inn, which was filled with snowmobilers Friday afternoon.
Schultz said he's thankful they have the recreation they do in Dunbar, as it is a big part of business. He said there are a lot of older people living in the town. Some of them are beginning to pass away and not many are moving in.
"The new younger generation does not stay here like the old-timers did," said Schultz.
Knapp said there are multiple factors that play a role in the depopulation of rural areas. He said one is the younger generation moving to more urban areas. Access to broadband is another possible reason. He said the rural areas might not have the access to Internet that more urban areas have. Another factor could be that depopulation feeds off itself.
"As counties lose population, jobs tend to go away. Businesses tend to go away, and that then leads to more people leaving," said Knapp.
For more information on the report, click here.
