Overall population has grown in most states since 2010 (black line above), but there is a sizable difference between urban counties (orange lines) and rural counties (blue lines). These losses can weaken a region's fiscal health.
The Great Recession spurred a decade of missed growth for states. On a new episode of Pew's "After the Fact" podcast, we find out if officials are better prepared for the new downturn.
The recent federal stimulus package included an estimated $50 billion extra for states to help address an expected surge in state Medicaid costs—which have grown since 2000.