(Roanoke, VA) -- Rural parts of Virginia are growing as fast as what is now jokingly referred to as Nashvegas. Thomas Cage with more.Preview: Voicer Script:
New census figures show rural Virginia is now gaining population faster than rural North Carolina and at the same pace as Nashville, Tennessee. The Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia released its annual population estimates showing people continue to move away from big metro areas and into rural communities. The Cardinal News reports the shift in migration patterns is attributed to factors such as remote work opportunities and changing preferences for living in less hurricane-prone areas. The report shows the fastest growing increases in newcomers coming into rural Virginia, mostly west of the Blue Ridge - something both Bristol and Winchester have in common.