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The Countryside Comeback No One Saw Coming
7 regions defying the urban narrative with growth, tech, and grit.
Philip Saparov
August 26, 2025
In partnership with
Greetings, sharp-eyed seeker of what's next!
For decades, cities stole the spotlight. But now, the countryside is staging a quiet rebellion. From Europe to Asia, forgotten towns and far-flung villages are pulsing back to life—fueled by digital nomads, new infrastructure, and shifting lifestyles.
In this edition, we uncover seven unexpected places where rural life isn’t fading—it’s flourishing. Whether you're eyeing new investments, fresh horizons, or future trends, these stories might just change how you see the map.
Let’s dive into the comeback of the countryside.
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For decades, Japan’s countryside was seen as a landscape of fading traditions and vacant homes. But today, things are shifting. Young families and urban professionals are leaving Tokyo and Osaka behind—trading high rents for space, peace, and a lower cost of living.
🍱 In Nagano, migration incentives and startup-friendly policies have drawn in remote workers and organic farmers alike.
🌿 The Setouchi region, once struggling, is reinventing itself with art festivals and eco-tourism.
🏡 Even Yamanashi is seeing an uptick in population, thanks to infrastructure upgrades and local government grants.
Intriguing twist: In 2023, rural migration to some Japanese prefectures exceeded inbound urban migration for the first time since the 1970s.
Rural America isn’t just red barns and wheat fields anymore. It’s data centers, satellite offices, and fast-growing towns offering a softer, saner pace of life. Fueled by the rise of remote work, affordable land, and improving broadband, a new kind of migration is underway.
🛰️ Idaho, once known mainly for potatoes, now hosts booming tech hubs in Boise and Coeur d'Alene.
🌾 Tennessee’s rural counties are attracting entrepreneurs with business grants and no income tax.
🎓 College towns like Missoula, MT and Athens, GA are retaining graduates who once fled to the coasts.
Fascinating fact: Between 2020 and 2023, over 2 million Americans relocated from urban cores to small towns and rural counties—a trend reversing decades of urbanization.
Portugal’s coastal cities have long been attractive—but now, even its rural heartlands are capturing attention. Why? A powerful mix of high-speed internet, low cost of living, and government efforts to revive underpopulated villages.
🍷 Alentejo, a region once struggling with depopulation, is drawing retirees and remote workers with scenic beauty and tranquility.
🏡 Tiny villages like Sortelha are turning into co-living hubs for digital nomads and creatives.
🌐 The government’s “Work from the Interior” program offers financial incentives to relocate outside Lisbon and Porto.
Little-known gem: Some rural homes in central Portugal are selling for under €20,000—with fiber internet included.
India’s rural population—over 65% of the country—isn’t just growing. It’s modernizing fast. Once defined by agriculture alone, rural India now pulses with e-commerce, solar power, and rising income levels.
⚡ States like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are turning villages into solar power hubs with new job opportunities.
📦 Tier-3 towns like Warangal and Bhilai are now major e-commerce logistics centers for Amazon and Flipkart.
🚉 Investments in rural rail, mobile banking, and education are improving quality of life and access.
Data point to know: India built over 700,000 kilometers of rural roads in the past decade—opening up access to over 97% of its villages.
France’s countryside is undergoing a slow but determined revival, led by former Parisians escaping cost and chaos. Known as “neo-rurals,” they’re restoring homes, opening small businesses, and breathing new life into old villages.
🥖 Dordogne and Aveyron are becoming magnets for artisans, wellness seekers, and eco-farmers.
🏘️ The Auvergne region now offers subsidies to new residents willing to renovate abandoned homes.
🌐 France’s government is investing €620 million to extend fiber internet to even its remotest areas.
Surprising stat: Over 100,000 Parisians moved to rural areas between 2020 and 2022—a 35% jump from the previous two-year period.
Inland Australia, long overshadowed by its glitzy coastal cities, is carving out a new role in the national economy. With changing work patterns and regional investment, a new story is unfolding in the Outback and beyond.
🏙️ Towns like Ballarat and Orange have seen population growth surpass that of some Sydney suburbs.
🚛 Infrastructure and housing investments are reshaping the economic fate of mining and agri-towns.
🎓 Regional universities are expanding, drawing students and researchers into local innovation zones.
Future-facing trend: Australia’s “Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee” is expected to drive over 10,000 relocations annually through 2027.
In Chile, the rugged beauty of Patagonia is becoming more than just a backdrop—it’s becoming a strategy. Once considered too remote for real growth, parts of southern Chile are now attracting climate-conscious settlers, adventure entrepreneurs, and sustainable investors.
🌱 Regions like Aysén are pioneering ecotourism and conservation economies.
🌄 Coyhaique, once a quiet frontier town, now has co-working spaces, wellness retreats, and a growing population of young families.
🚰 New infrastructure projects are improving access to water, healthcare, and transport.
Unexpected fact: Coyhaique has one of the lowest crime rates in Latin America and was recently named one of the best places in the world to live off-grid.
What once looked like a trickle is now a trend. From Tokyo to Tennessee, Lisbon to La Rioja, rural regions are proving they’re more than just postcards—they’re the next frontier.
Innovation isn’t always found in glass towers. Sometimes, it’s fiber internet, fresh air, and a community that still says hello.
If you're watching the future, investing in it, or planning to live it—don’t overlook the quiet places. They’re speaking up.
Stay sharp. Stay global. Stay ahead.
Warm regards,
Shane Fulmer
Founder, WorldPopulationReview.com
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