Transforming Rail in Virginia
An economic study evaluating the economic effects of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s (VPRA) Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative.
Good governance, equity, and resilience in every Virginia community
The Cooper Center provides valuable data and services to communities, governments, and public sector leaders.
Research
What’s the Cost: Financial Toxicity and Screening Fatigue in Li-Fraumeni Syndrome
Center for Survey Research paper on LFI patients' barriers to cancer screening adherence, and whether screening fatigue and financial hardship are contributors.
Interactions between Political Ideologies and Healthcare Reform
A study of the relationship between physician political ideological preferences and health policy reform options.
Since the pandemic, young adults have fueled the revival of small towns and rural areas
So far the 2020s have turned out very differently than any recent decade. The 2023 county population estimates released by the Census Bureau this spring showed that last year migration rose in small towns and rural counties, making them the top destination within the U.S. The 2023 age estimates, which the Census Bureau released over the summer, show that most of the growth that small towns and rural areas have experienced since 2020 is being driven by growth in their population of 25- to 44– year-olds.
In The News
All in good time - Virginia Business
For decades, the promise of economic revitalization has tantalized Southwest Virginia. The sparsely populated region, once home to booming coal mining and tobacco industries, has had money and resources thrown at it by local, state and federal governments, but it’s still had a difficult time finding its footing.
Virginia Business
Why young people continue to flee big cities even as pandemic has faded
Young people drove population growth in large cities for decades but have bolted for small towns since 2020 even though COVID-19 has eased.
USA Today
New database reveals extent of solar push in Southside
The database, from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, also shows a drop in local approvals of solar projects.
Cardinal News
For new generation of Virginia farmers, it’s adapt or wither
A new generation of Virginia farmers faced with rising operational costs are rethinking their goals and changing their business models.
Virginian-Pilot
Democracy in Action
Read the Cooper Center's 2023 Impact Report