This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Income and Poverty in the United States: 2018
Reports on income levels and the number of people in poverty for 2017 and 2018, along with the percent change from 2017 to 2018. Includes statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Based on data from the 2019 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements.
Author(s): Jessica Semega, Melissa Kollar, John Creamer, Abinash Mohanty
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants in North Dakota
Details the supply and distribution of occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants in North Dakota. Includes a breakdown of rural and urban distribution and retention.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
view details
Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants in North Dakota
Explores the supply and distribution of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in North Dakota. Includes a breakdown of rural and urban distribution and retention.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
view details
Spatial Patterns in Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality in Pennsylvania Using Pennsylvania Cancer Registry Data, 2004–2014
Analyzes data from the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry between 2004 and 2014 to examine the mortality risk of prostate cancer for men aged 40 or older living in rural and urban Appalachian areas in Pennsylvania.
Author(s): Ming Wang, Emily Wasserman, Nathaniel Geyer, et al.
Citation: BMC Cancer, 20, 394
Date: 05/2020
view details
Use of Small-Area Estimates to Describe County-Level Geographic Variation in Prevalence of Extreme Obesity among US Adults
Study examining the variability in prevalence of extreme obesity at the county level, using small-area estimation to pinpoint specific areas of high and low prevalence. Uses data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the U.S. Census Bureau to create county-level estimates for adults over 18 years of age. Discusses contrasting pictures of extreme obesity at a broad state level and at the county level, highlighting ranges of prevalence in select states and noting some areas of rural prevalence.
Author(s): Carrie W. Mills, Glen Johnson, Terry T. K. Huang, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(5), e204289
Date: 05/2020
view details
Arizona Health Workforce Profile: Physician Assistants
Brief reporting on the physician assistant (PA) workforce in Arizona, including a county map with information on PAs per 100,000 residents and distribution in rural and urban areas.
Author(s): B. Koch, S. Coates, B. Coplan, et al.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
view details
Revealing Rural Realities: What Fuels Inaccurate and Incomplete Coverage of Rural Issues?
Report discussing the representation and misrepresentation of rural issues and prosperity in national and regional news media and journalism. Offers recommendations to journalists based on interviews in 2019 with rural experts, activists, and journalists, and a media scan to analyze coverage of rural America in national and regional news. Identifies rural healthcare as a common topic of coverage, noting media emphasis on negative aspects of rural life including hospital closures, health disparities, and suicide.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Aspen Institute, Center for Rural Strategies, Hattaway Communications, Rural Housing Assistance Council
view details
A Cohort Comparison of Differences Between Regional and Buncombe County Patients of a Comprehensive Perinatal Substance Use Disorders Program in Western North Carolina
Presents a study on access to perinatal substance use disorder care in rural counties in western North Carolina compared to the more urban Buncombe County. Analyzes a hub-and-spoke model that aims to provide perinatal substance use disorder care across the state and discusses the barriers to care in rural areas.
Author(s): Shelley L. Galvin, Melinda Ramage, Catherine Leiner, et al.
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 81(3), 157-165
Date: 05/2020
view details
Maternal and Obstetric Care Challenges in Rural America
Provides an overview of the clinical factors and social determinants of health that may increase the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality in rural communities. Discusses the impact of insurance coverage status, hospital and obstetric unit closures, and workforce shortages on rural maternal health. Describes the role of the Department of Health and Human Services in addressing maternal health outcomes. Offers policy recommendations to reduce rural maternal health disparities.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
COVID-19 and Rural Hospital Struggles
Recording of a May 14, 2020, webinar on healthcare delivery and financial challenges facing rural hospitals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Features leaders from health systems in Iowa, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
view details