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The Great Plains was in decline for the first years of the 21st century. But since the Great Recession of 2007, the region bounced back while the rest of rural America struggled to create jobs.

For much of last year, rural areas had better unemployment numbers than metro America. Now, the tables have turned and a greater percentage of rural residents find themselves out of work.

Nearly a quarter of a century ago, Kenneth Stone did one of the first studies on the economic effects of Wal-Mart on rural towns. He has revisited that study and again found that the coming of a Wal-Mart increases a town's overall retail sales.