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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural definitions

Wisconsin Divided Ten Ways: A Review of Rural-Urban Classification Systems
Provides a high-level overview of core classification systems, and systems that are county-based, census tract-based, ZIP code-based, and municipal-based. Includes county-level maps with shadings indicating levels of population density, based on various definitions of the terms urban and rural.
Additional links: Appendix A - Wisconsin County Classifications, Appendix B - Wisconsin Census Tract Classifications, Appendix C - Wisconsin ZIP Code Classification, Appendix D - Municipal Classifications
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
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Micropolitan America
Infographic showing a variety of charts about micropolitan statistical areas. Includes a map of micropolitan areas. Provides data on the micropolitan population compared to the U.S. population as a whole, covering age and sex, race/ethnicity, population change, industry, and occupation.
Date: 07/2019
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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New Mexico Rural Health Plan
Presents the results of a rural health strategic planning project to develop recommendations for improving the health status and healthcare services in rural New Mexico. Report includes a definition of rural, rural health priority assessment, identified rural health priorities of local communities, and offers program and policy recommendations.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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2020 Census Predictive Models and Audience Segmentation Report: A New Design for the 21st Century
Reports on how different segments of the population are likely to self-respond to the 2020 Census. Identifies eight audience segments, groupings of census tracts with similar predicted self-response behavior and similar demographics related to self-response. Includes a map showing how they are geographically distributed. Two of the segments, Country Roads and Sparse Spaces, are rural. Others include rural areas. For each audience segment, information is provided on demographics, media consumption, and mindset related to the census.
Author(s): Robert Kulzick, Laura Kail, Shawnna Mullenax, et al.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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2018 Farm Bill Primer: Rural Development Programs
Highlights the new rural development provisions included in the 2018 Farm Bill, which address rural access to high-speed broadband, rural health, loans and grants for rural water and wastewater infrastructure, economic development, and more. Outlines changes in how rural is defined for these programs.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Oklahoma Counties by Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2013
Provides a map showing counties in Oklahoma shaded by metro/non-metro rural-urban continuum codes.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health
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Minnesota Rural-Urban Commuting Areas – Explanation of County Categories
Presents two maps of Minnesota, one by county and the other by census tract, showing various rural categories based on Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA). Also includes definitions for these rural categories.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Assessing the Unintended Consequences of Health Policy on Rural Populations and Places
Explores health policies that have affected, or could potentially have affected, rural people, places, and providers, in ways that ran counter to policy intent. Examines 6 historical health policies and their effect on rural health systems. Includes a framework for analyzing policy impact on rural populations and places.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Charlie Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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An Overview of the National Cancer Institute's Initiatives to Accelerate Rural Cancer Control Research
Highlights initiatives developed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to address the obstacles and opportunities in rural cancer control research. Summarizes discussions from an NCI-hosted national meeting held on May 30-31, 2018. Conference topics centered on rural definitions, surveillance and epidemiologic research, overcoming methodologic challenges, executing multilevel interventions, and using implementation science in rural cancer control.
Author(s): Amy E. Kennedy, Robin C. Vanderpool, Robert T. Croyle, Shobha Srinivasan
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 27(11), 1240-1244
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
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Counting Rural America: A Guide to 2020 Census Operations
Discusses the U.S. Census Bureau's special operations for counting populations in remote rural areas, including locations without mailing addresses, with high seasonal vacancies, or areas recovering from national disasters. Addresses the challenges of limited internet access and cell phone service, and methods to improve the count in these areas. Identifies specific Hard-to-count (HTC) populations, and ways local governments, businesses, and service providers can ensure an accurate count in rural areas.
Author(s): Cara Brumfield, Sophie Khan
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality
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