Tucked away in northeastern North Carolina is Bertie County —a rural, primarily black community in one of the state's poorest areas with many of its fastest-shrinking towns. Bertie County is home to seven of North Carolina's top 10 towns with the biggest percentage decline in residents from 2015 to 2016, according to data from the UNC Carolina Population Center. In Bertie County, industries that once thrived — several lumber mills and a herring packing plant in Colerain, for example — are now shuttered. And as more people leave, tax revenue drops, making it difficult for small towns to provide services, said Rebecca Tippett of the Carolina Population Center. Despite its challenges, Bertie County officials said they're committed to revitalization and have purchased a waterfront property, which it plans to use as a beach and recreational area.

Source: ABC News July 29, 2017 13:48 UTC