The Rural Dilemma: Inside America’s Fastest-Shrinking County

Alexander County, Illinois, lost a greater percentage of its population between the two most recent censuses than any other county in the nation.

The reasons people left the county echo the social and economic shifts of rural American life in the 21st century: a lack of affordable housing and amenities for families, a shift in agriculture away from small farms, and a lack of jobs and accessible health care for an aging population. Cairo, the county seat and a majority-Black town of historical significance, has also suffered from government and policy failures and corruption, much of it rooted in racism.

In a place with ever-dwindling resources, what becomes of the people who still call Cairo, Thebes, Tamms, and rural Alexander County home?

In a series of stories told through personal narratives, journalists Molly Parker and Julia Rendleman—together with students at Southern Illinois University in partnership with Capitol News Illinois—will illustrate how many of the county’s residents have been left in a perilous situation and look to identify solutions, questioning lawmakers and rural policy experts about the path forward for Illinois’ southernmost territory.