Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Working on Wellness: The Rural Health and Employment Link
Examines the relationship between rural population health outcomes and employment security. Provides data on labor force participation, life expectancy, unhealthy days, and disability rates across the rural-urban continuum. Discusses metro versus nonmetro differences in workplace hazards and physical exertion.
Author(s): Surekha Carpenter, Bethany Greene, Stephanie Norris
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
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Examines the relationship between rural population health outcomes and employment security. Provides data on labor force participation, life expectancy, unhealthy days, and disability rates across the rural-urban continuum. Discusses metro versus nonmetro differences in workplace hazards and physical exertion.
Author(s): Surekha Carpenter, Bethany Greene, Stephanie Norris
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
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Annual Disability Statistics Compendium 2026
Presents statistics on Americans with disabilities across key social and economic indicators derived from American Community Survey (ACS) data, including employment, educational attainment, health and healthcare, and more. Section 10 presents data on people with disabilities in rural areas, and compares the prevalence of disability, demographic characteristics, employment status, income, and insurance coverage status across metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Research on Disability, Institute on Disability, University of New Hampshire, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
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Presents statistics on Americans with disabilities across key social and economic indicators derived from American Community Survey (ACS) data, including employment, educational attainment, health and healthcare, and more. Section 10 presents data on people with disabilities in rural areas, and compares the prevalence of disability, demographic characteristics, employment status, income, and insurance coverage status across metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Research on Disability, Institute on Disability, University of New Hampshire, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
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America's Rental Housing 2026
Report details rental housing access across the country. Describes the supply and demand of rental housing, as well as the cost of renting for various income earners. Compares data on the types of housing available to rent and affordability in urban, suburban, and nonmetropolitan communities.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
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Report details rental housing access across the country. Describes the supply and demand of rental housing, as well as the cost of renting for various income earners. Compares data on the types of housing available to rent and affordability in urban, suburban, and nonmetropolitan communities.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
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Minnesota's Hospital Nursing Workforce: A Study on Turnover and Exits among Minnesota's Hospital-Based Nurses
Provides an overview of the nursing profession in Minnesota, focusing on workforce supply, employment characteristics, nurse retention, and strategies to improve job satisfaction. Includes comparisons of job satisfaction of nurses in rural versus urban settings.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Provides an overview of the nursing profession in Minnesota, focusing on workforce supply, employment characteristics, nurse retention, and strategies to improve job satisfaction. Includes comparisons of job satisfaction of nurses in rural versus urban settings.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals, 2026
Offers resources highlighting data from the 2024 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey. Provides data on the number of hospitals by type, ownership, system-affiliated versus independent, and rural versus urban location. Includes an interactive map of community hospitals in the United States.
Additional links: Infographics from Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals, 2026
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Offers resources highlighting data from the 2024 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey. Provides data on the number of hospitals by type, ownership, system-affiliated versus independent, and rural versus urban location. Includes an interactive map of community hospitals in the United States.
Additional links: Infographics from Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals, 2026
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Geographic Access to Dental Specialists in the United States
Examines how drive times to dental specialist services vary by rural or urban dwelling, using 2023 IQVIA dental specialist workforce data. See Supplemental Online Content for bar charts showing state-by-state variation in rural and urban drive times to care by specialty.
Additional links: Supplemental Online Content
Author(s): Md Shahinoor Rahman, Ashley Martinez, Hawazin W. Elani
Citation: Journal of Dental Research, 105(7), 875-882
Date: 12/2025
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Examines how drive times to dental specialist services vary by rural or urban dwelling, using 2023 IQVIA dental specialist workforce data. See Supplemental Online Content for bar charts showing state-by-state variation in rural and urban drive times to care by specialty.
Additional links: Supplemental Online Content
Author(s): Md Shahinoor Rahman, Ashley Martinez, Hawazin W. Elani
Citation: Journal of Dental Research, 105(7), 875-882
Date: 12/2025
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Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS) Report Appendix Year 1–Year 4 Cohort Analysis
Provides data from the first 4 cohorts of ground ambulance organizations selected to participate in the Ground Ambulance Data Collection System. Includes response rates, information on data cleaning and validation, statistics summarizing responses, and analyses exploring relationships between costs per service and organizational characteristics. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, rural, and super rural areas.
Additional links: Codebook
Author(s): Christine Buttorff, Daniel Crespin, Sara Heins, et al.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, RAND Corporation
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Provides data from the first 4 cohorts of ground ambulance organizations selected to participate in the Ground Ambulance Data Collection System. Includes response rates, information on data cleaning and validation, statistics summarizing responses, and analyses exploring relationships between costs per service and organizational characteristics. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, rural, and super rural areas.
Additional links: Codebook
Author(s): Christine Buttorff, Daniel Crespin, Sara Heins, et al.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, RAND Corporation
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Kansas Annual Summary of Vital Statistics, 2024
Provides comprehensive data on vital events, population demographics, fertility and live births, mortality, and marriages in Kansas in 2024. Includes data breakdowns according to county and frontier, rural, densely-settled rural, semi-urban, or urban location.
Author(s): David Oakley, Christina Smith, Cathryn Savage, Inkyung Cha
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
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Provides comprehensive data on vital events, population demographics, fertility and live births, mortality, and marriages in Kansas in 2024. Includes data breakdowns according to county and frontier, rural, densely-settled rural, semi-urban, or urban location.
Author(s): David Oakley, Christina Smith, Cathryn Savage, Inkyung Cha
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
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2025 Graduate Medical Education Exit Survey Report: Indiana University School of Medicine
Results of a survey of 454 individuals completing graduate medical education programs at the Indiana University School of Medicine in 2025. Data include demographic characteristics, reactions to residency training, and plans after graduation, including where the physicians intended to practice and why they chose that location. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Indiana University School of Medicine
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Results of a survey of 454 individuals completing graduate medical education programs at the Indiana University School of Medicine in 2025. Data include demographic characteristics, reactions to residency training, and plans after graduation, including where the physicians intended to practice and why they chose that location. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Indiana University School of Medicine
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Rurality, Socioeconomic Status, and Psychosocial Health Outcomes During Pregnancy
Examines pregnancy-related depressive symptoms, quality of life, and perceived stress across socioeconomic and geographic variables. Analyzes 2020-2024 data from 497 pregnant women according to their psychosocial health with breakdowns by socioeconomic status, area deprivation index, and location of urban, micropolitan rural, or small town rural.
Author(s): Katrina L. Wilhite, Jacob Gallagher, Alex Crisp, et al.
Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 26, 23
Date: 12/2025
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Examines pregnancy-related depressive symptoms, quality of life, and perceived stress across socioeconomic and geographic variables. Analyzes 2020-2024 data from 497 pregnant women according to their psychosocial health with breakdowns by socioeconomic status, area deprivation index, and location of urban, micropolitan rural, or small town rural.
Author(s): Katrina L. Wilhite, Jacob Gallagher, Alex Crisp, et al.
Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 26, 23
Date: 12/2025
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