Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural definitions
List of Rural Counties and Designated Eligible Census Tracts in Metropolitan Counties
Identifies areas with geographic eligibility for Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grant programs. Lists rural counties, rural census tracts within metropolitan counties, and outlying metropolitan counties without an Urbanized Area.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Identifies areas with geographic eligibility for Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grant programs. Lists rural counties, rural census tracts within metropolitan counties, and outlying metropolitan counties without an Urbanized Area.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Comments on Proposed Criteria for Defining Urban Areas
Comment letter responding to the U.S. Census Bureau on proposed changes to criteria used to define urban areas. Discusses how the proposed changes could impact the delivery of healthcare services in rural communities, including potential implications on the certification of Rural Health Clinics.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Comment letter responding to the U.S. Census Bureau on proposed changes to criteria used to define urban areas. Discusses how the proposed changes could impact the delivery of healthcare services in rural communities, including potential implications on the certification of Rural Health Clinics.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Indicators of Rurality: How Should We Define "Rural" and "Urban" Communities?
Provides an overview of six federal datasets and how each is used to classify urban and rural communities. Offers recommendations for how to use each indicator of rurality.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Institute for People Place and Possibility
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Provides an overview of six federal datasets and how each is used to classify urban and rural communities. Offers recommendations for how to use each indicator of rurality.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Institute for People Place and Possibility
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Comment on Recommendations from the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review Committee to Changes in Metropolitan and Micropolitan Area Standards
Offers comments in response to the Office of Management and Budget's proposed changes to the metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area standards. Discusses potential unintended consequences of the proposed changes and the broader implications of the definition of metropolitan on research and policy development.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Offers comments in response to the Office of Management and Budget's proposed changes to the metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area standards. Discusses potential unintended consequences of the proposed changes and the broader implications of the definition of metropolitan on research and policy development.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Redefining Rural: Towards a Better Understanding of Geography, Demography, and Economy in America's Rural Places
Offers a hybrid definition of rurality based on metro and non-metro definitions from the Office of Management and Budget, Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, and considers outlying communities in metro and micropolitan counties as rural. Compares rural and non-rural poverty rates, economic well-being, population changes, and other characteristics to represent counties in economic distress.
Author(s): Kennedy O'Dell
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Economic Innovation Group
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Offers a hybrid definition of rurality based on metro and non-metro definitions from the Office of Management and Budget, Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, and considers outlying communities in metro and micropolitan counties as rural. Compares rural and non-rural poverty rates, economic well-being, population changes, and other characteristics to represent counties in economic distress.
Author(s): Kennedy O'Dell
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Economic Innovation Group
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Determining Rural Communities: Current Changes and Updated Federal Program Eligibility
Presentation slides from a March 11, 2021, webinar discussing the various definitions of rural used by the federal government. Provides an overview of revisions to the eligibility for grant programs administered by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), as well as a proposal from the U.S. Census Bureau to reclassify certain counties as rural. Describes implications for FORHP funding programs.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Presentation slides from a March 11, 2021, webinar discussing the various definitions of rural used by the federal government. Provides an overview of revisions to the eligibility for grant programs administered by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), as well as a proposal from the U.S. Census Bureau to reclassify certain counties as rural. Describes implications for FORHP funding programs.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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County Reclassifications and Rural–Urban Mortality Disparities in the United States (1970–2018)
Examines urban and rural mortality disparities since 1970, comparing baseline changes to mortality rates by decade of reclassificiation of rural and urban counties based on CDC WONDER data. Describes the impact of reclassification on disparities and the importance of rural and urban classification in policy interventions.
Author(s): Matthew M. Brooks, J. Tom Mueller, Brian C. Thiede
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(12): 1814-1816
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
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Examines urban and rural mortality disparities since 1970, comparing baseline changes to mortality rates by decade of reclassificiation of rural and urban counties based on CDC WONDER data. Describes the impact of reclassification on disparities and the importance of rural and urban classification in policy interventions.
Author(s): Matthew M. Brooks, J. Tom Mueller, Brian C. Thiede
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(12): 1814-1816
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
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Social Determinants of Health: Challenges and Opportunities in Rural America
Recorded presentation by Jan Probst on social determinants of health in rural America. Offers definitions of social determinants of health and rurality, and discusses economic dynamics of rural areas, education, and the importance of cooperative efforts to make change, with examples of such efforts in South Carolina.
Date: 12/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Recorded presentation by Jan Probst on social determinants of health in rural America. Offers definitions of social determinants of health and rurality, and discusses economic dynamics of rural areas, education, and the importance of cooperative efforts to make change, with examples of such efforts in South Carolina.
Date: 12/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data: What Users of Data for Rural Areas Need to Know
An overview of what data users need to know about working with American Community Survey (ACS) data for rural areas. Addresses how rural is defined, the use of 5-year estimates, strategies to produce reliable estimates for rural communities, where to access rural ACS estimates, and case studies of rural data use.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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An overview of what data users need to know about working with American Community Survey (ACS) data for rural areas. Addresses how rural is defined, the use of 5-year estimates, strategies to produce reliable estimates for rural communities, where to access rural ACS estimates, and case studies of rural data use.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Is Rural America Failing or Succeeding? Maybe Both
Policy brief examining Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reclassification of rural counties as metropolitan due to population growth. Provides visual data on counties that transitioned from nonmetropolitan to metropolitan since 1970, including a U.S. map representing reclassified counties. Discusses the implications of reclassification for economic policy and interpretations of rural demographics.
Author(s): Kenneth M. Johnson and Daniel T. Lichter
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Policy brief examining Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reclassification of rural counties as metropolitan due to population growth. Provides visual data on counties that transitioned from nonmetropolitan to metropolitan since 1970, including a U.S. map representing reclassified counties. Discusses the implications of reclassification for economic policy and interpretations of rural demographics.
Author(s): Kenneth M. Johnson and Daniel T. Lichter
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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