Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
The Impact of High Hospital Fixed-Cost Ratios on Rural Populations
Explores how rurality relates to hospital cost structures as categorized by Urban Influence Codes (UICs). Describes the characteristics of hospitals at different fixed-to-total-cost ratio levels, the demographics associated with hospitals at different ratio levels, and the share of nonmetropolitan hospitals that have Critical Access Hospital (CAH) or Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) designations. Discusses how findings could be used to refine hospital payment policies.
Author(s): Abigail Barker, Eliot Jost, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Explores how rurality relates to hospital cost structures as categorized by Urban Influence Codes (UICs). Describes the characteristics of hospitals at different fixed-to-total-cost ratio levels, the demographics associated with hospitals at different ratio levels, and the share of nonmetropolitan hospitals that have Critical Access Hospital (CAH) or Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) designations. Discusses how findings could be used to refine hospital payment policies.
Author(s): Abigail Barker, Eliot Jost, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Rural-Suburban-Urban Differences in Caregiving in the Northeast U.S. Region
Analyzes characteristics of caregiving experiences in the Northeast according to rural, suburban, or urban geography. Focuses on percentage of people who have provided caregiving, as well as their income, weekly care expenses, use of social safety net programs, desire to participate in the workforce, and demographic profile.
Author(s): Elena Pojman, Florence Becot
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, PennState
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Analyzes characteristics of caregiving experiences in the Northeast according to rural, suburban, or urban geography. Focuses on percentage of people who have provided caregiving, as well as their income, weekly care expenses, use of social safety net programs, desire to participate in the workforce, and demographic profile.
Author(s): Elena Pojman, Florence Becot
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, PennState
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Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, July-December 2024
Provides data on households that rely on wireless telephones rather than landlines. Includes data on the percent of adults who live in wireless-only households and have their own wireless telephone, as well as data on phoneless adults. Provides data for nonmetropolitan compared to metropolitan areas. Discusses the need for surveys to include adequate representation of wireless-only households and households with landlines.
Author(s): Stephen J. Blumberg, Julian V. Luke
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Provides data on households that rely on wireless telephones rather than landlines. Includes data on the percent of adults who live in wireless-only households and have their own wireless telephone, as well as data on phoneless adults. Provides data for nonmetropolitan compared to metropolitan areas. Discusses the need for surveys to include adequate representation of wireless-only households and households with landlines.
Author(s): Stephen J. Blumberg, Julian V. Luke
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Self-Reported Reasons Preventing US Adults From Walking to Places Within 10 Minutes of Home
Examines environmental, access, and individual reasons given for not walking to places near home, utilizing 2022 SummerStyles survey data of 3,967 adults. Breaks down self-identified reasons for not walking by geographic and demographic characteristics, including rurality. Discusses the value of walkability for physical fitness and community accessibility.
Author(s): Hatidza Zaganjor, Tiffany J. Chen, Miriam E. Van Dyke, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240394
Date: 06/2025
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Examines environmental, access, and individual reasons given for not walking to places near home, utilizing 2022 SummerStyles survey data of 3,967 adults. Breaks down self-identified reasons for not walking by geographic and demographic characteristics, including rurality. Discusses the value of walkability for physical fitness and community accessibility.
Author(s): Hatidza Zaganjor, Tiffany J. Chen, Miriam E. Van Dyke, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240394
Date: 06/2025
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Rural Health Disparities: Contemporary Solutions for Persistent Rural Public Health Challenges
Special issue of Preventing Chronic Disease featuring articles that examine rural health disparities and discuss rural public health strategies to address cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions, and to promote physical activity.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease
Date: 06/2025
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Special issue of Preventing Chronic Disease featuring articles that examine rural health disparities and discuss rural public health strategies to address cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions, and to promote physical activity.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease
Date: 06/2025
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National Health Center Financial and Operational Performance Analysis: 2020–2023
Examines financial and operational characteristics of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) from 2020-2023. Explores FQHC growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, revenue and growth mix, staffing and productivity, operational trends, financial performance, and more. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data. Requires name, email address, and organization information to download.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
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Examines financial and operational characteristics of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) from 2020-2023. Explores FQHC growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, revenue and growth mix, staffing and productivity, operational trends, financial performance, and more. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data. Requires name, email address, and organization information to download.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
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Annual Net Migration Rates for Nonmetropolitan Counties, 2020-24
Bar graph showing average net migration rates for domestic and international migrants, with breakdowns by metropolitan adjacent areas, small cities, and remote-rural areas.
Author(s): John Cromartie, Justin B. Winikoff
Date: 06/2025
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Bar graph showing average net migration rates for domestic and international migrants, with breakdowns by metropolitan adjacent areas, small cities, and remote-rural areas.
Author(s): John Cromartie, Justin B. Winikoff
Date: 06/2025
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Older-Age Counties: 2000, 2010, 2020, and 2023.
Maps showing counties with less than 20 percent of people age 65 and older, and those with 20 percent or more, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): John Cromartie, Justin B. Winikoff
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Maps showing counties with less than 20 percent of people age 65 and older, and those with 20 percent or more, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): John Cromartie, Justin B. Winikoff
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Trends in Mean Age of Mothers: United States, 2016–2023
Examines trends in maternal age at the time of first birth, second birth, and third birth and higher, as well as by mother's demographics and urbanicity. Utilizes 2016–2023 National Vital Statistics System data to provide the mean maternal age with urbanicity breakdowns according to noncore (nonmetropolitan), micropolitan (nonmetropolitan), small metropolitan, medium metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, and large central metropolitan.
Author(s): Andrea D. Brown, Brady E. Hamilton, Dmitry M. Kissin, Joyce A. Martin
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Examines trends in maternal age at the time of first birth, second birth, and third birth and higher, as well as by mother's demographics and urbanicity. Utilizes 2016–2023 National Vital Statistics System data to provide the mean maternal age with urbanicity breakdowns according to noncore (nonmetropolitan), micropolitan (nonmetropolitan), small metropolitan, medium metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, and large central metropolitan.
Author(s): Andrea D. Brown, Brady E. Hamilton, Dmitry M. Kissin, Joyce A. Martin
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Health Care Use Preceding Suicide by Firearm Compared with Suicide by Other Means — Alaska, Colorado, and Washington, 2020–2022
Discusses use of healthcare services, including mental health services, in the year prior to suicide for those who died by firearm versus other means, based on data from three healthcare organizations in Alaska, Colorado, and Washington. Includes the number of suicides by location of residence for rural, suburban, and urban areas.
Author(s): Julie E. Angerhofer, Maricela Cruz, Jennifer Shaw, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(21), 365-371
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Discusses use of healthcare services, including mental health services, in the year prior to suicide for those who died by firearm versus other means, based on data from three healthcare organizations in Alaska, Colorado, and Washington. Includes the number of suicides by location of residence for rural, suburban, and urban areas.
Author(s): Julie E. Angerhofer, Maricela Cruz, Jennifer Shaw, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(21), 365-371
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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