I heard a number of people say this and studies focus on this too. While that may be the preference, I think all the studies I have read seem to be overlooking a few things. (I have not read the study you listed specifically so forgive me if they do cover it).

1. When there was the great exodus from cities like New York during the pandemic, most of those people fled to rural areas/suburbs immediately outside those metro areas. They didn’t move far, but just far enough away to feel safe. And since the pandemic has continued, reports have shown more people moving back into the city areas, etc.

2. Rural communities, assuming that people are flocking there, are not prepared for them. Iowa is supposedly “Iowa Nice” and that is fine as a visitor. But as people move in to stay and bring conflicting ideas, that narrative is generally incorrect and likely the opposite. So for all of the talk of growth of rural areas and the desire on the parts of rural areas to grow, most mean that in terms of income and such, not actual systemic change, which this would be.

3. No one defines rural very well. One of my communities of under 5,000 wanted to do a mass marketing campaign to get people from New York to move here. I tried to explain to them that rural to NYC residents is not what it means to us. To an NYC resident, rural means somewhere much smaller, generally outside a major seaboard, but that still has access to all of the amenities. So to NYC or LA residents, rural means Kansas City and St. Louis, not even Cedar Rapids, etc. The lack of a real rural definition for those being studied is generally a cause for great misunderstanding.

As for rural areas being more favorable due to remote work and such, that still only works in high amenity areas in my opinion. You will always have a few that want the small, quiet towns where nothing is open past five and the weekends are dead. But for the most part, that is not the value people see in what they consider rural.

I appreciate you reaching out and I apologize for my rant. :)

Derek