An Endangered Way of Life
(1) In 1950, about 36 percent of Americans lived in small towns and rural areas; by 1990, only 25 percent did. (2) Young people (especially those with higher education) are moving away, often leaving their parents behind. (3) As a result, rural America is aging.
(4) Also, the economic life of rural America is discouraging. (5) Because many small towns depend on a single employer, their economies are fragile. (6) Moreover, with more people than jobs, employers are able to pay just the minimum wage. (7)The poverty rate for young people in rural areas has more than doubled in the past twenty years, and the unemployment rate is twice the national average. (8) Health care in rural America is deteriorating. (9) Of the three hundred hospitals that closed in recent years, more than half were in small towns. (10)The country doctor is also disappearing. (11) Many small towns have only a part-time physician who serves several communities, and some have no doctor at all.
(12) Small-town schools are also in trouble. (13) With dwindling numbers of students, the cost of educating a single student often becomes prohibitive, and many small districts have been forced to merge. (14) In consolidated school districts, students may be forced to travel fifty miles back and forth to school each day.
(15) The crisis in rural America is taking its toll on the mental health of its residents. (16) A recent study of Iowa farmers found that one in three suffered symptoms of depression. (17) Another study, of rural adolescents, found that they are far more prone to depression and suicidal thoughts than are their urban counterparts.

Please help. I’ll mark as brainliest if correct. Choose the implied main idea.

a. Small towns in America are in danger, and the quality of life for their citizens is declining.

b. Small towns in America are experiencing significant decreases in population.

c. Small towns in America need to provide more jobs and health care for their citizens.

d. In a crisis, it’s better to live in a large city than in a small town.