The redistribution of population in the Great Plains has dramatically transformed the region’s landscape. The many rural towns and villages that once dotted the region are vanishing. These communities which flourished as trade centers for agriculture are depopulating as generations of young families move to the larger cities. In contrast, the few metropolitan centers in the region are enjoying continuous growth and even sprouting bedroom communities. Decades of selective rural-to-urban migration have distorted the age distribution in many counties, creating high proportions of elderly and dwindling numbers of youth.