Small towns and manufacturing

The population of small towns in the Midwest has increased since World War II because of expanded regional employment in manufacturing in nonmetropolitan areas. Some new small-town factories are branch plants of large corporations, but others have been developed by local entrepreneurs. An Iowa case study shows that incorporated places have gained population consistently since 1920 and that individual places have retained their relative position in the urban hierarchy. The future of small towns depends on their ability to adapt to the change in their primary function from agricultural service to manufacturing. -Author