Mythbusting: The urban-rural divide is a defining trope in American culture today, with the common refrain that cities are thriving and rural areas are in decline. But it’s more complicated than that: The divide is more of a spectrum that ranges from urbanized metropolitan counties to remote rural ones, and the economic fortunes of a place aren’t strictly tied to where it falls on that line.

Today on CityLab, Richard Florida kicks off a series that explores the myths and realities of urban and rural life in America. In the coming weeks, he’ll unpack what’s happening with jobs, wages, college grads, and the creative class across the urban-rural continuum. We start with population—and as it turns out, there’s more growth in some rural areas than you might expect.