Table 7. Comparison of Farm-Operator Family Level-of-Living Indexed for 

 New Hampshire, New England, and the United States in 1930 and 19501 



Area 



1930 



1950 



Increase 



United States 

 New England 

 New Hampshire 

 Hillsboro 

 Cheshire 

 Strafford 

 Rockingham 

 Merrimack 

 Sullivan 

 Grafton 

 Belknap 

 Carroll 

 Coos 



1 Farm-Operator Family Level-of-Living Indexes for Counties of the United States. 

 USDA. BAE. 1952. 



Urban, Rural Nonform and Rural Farm Migration by Counties 



The movement off farms or to nonfarm residences varied between coun- 

 ties. All counties lost urban residents, except Rockingham and Strafford, 

 and all lost rural farm residents. The proportions are shown in Table 8. 



Table 8. Estimated Migration by 1950 of Persons Who Were to 54 in 1940 by Urban, 



Rural Nonfarrn and Rural Farm Categories Expressed as Percentages 



of the 1940 Population for Counties of New Hampshire 



1 Inclusion of students inflates the percentage. 



Effect of migration on Dependency Ratios 



The dependency ratio is an expression of the relationship of the num- 

 ber of children to 14 and the number of people over 65 to the number of 

 persons in the age group 20 to 64. It estimates the number of dependents 

 per 1,000 people aged 20 to 64. Comparison of this ratio between time 

 {)eriods indicates changes in the age structure of the population. It may 

 indicate potential tax problems, shifts in the size and distribution of in- 

 come, or possible changes in institutional requirements such as schools. 

 Effects of migration on the population of an area or region are revealed in 

 changes in the dependency ratio. 



In a comparison between 1940 and 1950 the dependency ratio increased 

 for all counties and all types of residents. For example, in Belknap County 



