Rural and Urban California: Two Realities, One Future

Editorial by Eli C. Owens | September 10, 2025 Tags: #RuralIssues, #UrbanIssues, #CaliforniaPolicy

California is often described as one place, but it is many different places with different realities. I lived in the heart of Los Angeles for ten years. I now live in the California desert in Blythe, one of the most rural parts of the state. I understand both realities because I have lived both lives. Urban communities deal with housing shortages, high costs, traffic, and competition for limited resources. Rural communities deal with declining services, limited healthcare access, long travel distances for basic needs, and feeling overlooked by the rest of the state.

Both realities matter. Both have value. And both are connected.

Rural communities feed the state, support key industries, and provide essential resources. Urban communities drive commerce, culture, technology, and growth. When one struggles, the other eventually feels it.

Our politics often suggest that rural and urban residents are opponents. They are not. They need each other. Policy should not treat them as opposing sides. It should recognize that the strength of California depends on both.

A healthy future for our state requires listening to both realities and building policy that respects both.