How do rural areas profile in the futures dreams by the Finnish youth?

Abstract Demographic trends do not give much hope for rural regions in developed economies. Many studies prescribe rural futures as manifestations of consumption of the countryside by an urban majority. However, many of these macro-images and typologies lack explicit micro-agency. This article illustrates what are the expectations from personal futures in rural areas, where specifically and by whom. The respondents of a national survey represented the Finnish youth, who described their dream future in 2030 in terms of livelihood, accommodation and lifestyle recipe. Analysis of the dreams resulted in distinct regional profiles. Urban-adjacent rural areas are profiled as places for a cosy lif…