Zhang said that a county’s population determines its tax base. So a smaller population means less tax revenue for public services that have been critical during the crisis, such as health care programs.
A new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts suggests that rural communities will have a harder time weathering the economic impacts, as well. Zhang said state and local budgets have been hit hard already.
“The rural communities that have a smaller tax base and a shrinking economy will find it more difficult to bounce back after the economy restarts.” said Zhang.
The report suggests that policy makers on the state and local levels need to keep rural communities in mind while crafting pandemic response plans.
And the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, rural communities may have a more difficult time dealing with both the health and economic impacts of the pandemic.