Actually, rural and small town USA is disappearing, has been since WWII. But, now the tipping point has been passed and the small towns are no longer able to sustain themselves. The hub or focal point of small towns and surrounds rural areas has alway been the local school, the glue that held them together. But, sadly their head count has dropped so low it has become necessary to close many and consolidate where feasible. As a couple of others have stated, the young are fleeing just as soon as the are able as there is absolutely nothing to hold them, zero, unless your family is int farming and the farm/ranch is large enough to support multiple families. Even then, many of these have become absentee owners, living in the nearby metropolitan area and paying a manager to run the property. Most of the people remaining are old, run down, many lame, go into a grocery store and watch the transactions ahead of you, virtually all purchases paid with an EBT card. Sad, sad, sad......
There are still plenty of "rural/small town USA" places available. You just have to look a bit to find the successful ones. And although the young may be abandoning "some" rural places, a great many of them are being rejuvenated by retirees who are moving BACK to the country after a career stint in "the big city".