California

State Office of Rural Health

California State Office of Rural Health

Email: CalSORH@hcai.ca.gov

Collaborates with public and private entities statewide and at the regional and national levels to increase rural access to health care and to link small rural communities with state and federal resources.
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California Nonmetro Population

39,346,023

Estimated population

835,376 (2.1%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020 estimate

California Rural Healthcare Facilities

37

Critical Access Hospitals

270

Rural Health Clinics

316

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

30

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (July 2023), showing only locations outside of U.S Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural California

Most Californians have some form of health insurance coverage, although 6.5% of its residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2022). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Californians in 2021 was $76,614, with the rural per capita income at $53,988. The ERS reports, based on 2021 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural California is 15.5%, compared with 12.3% in urban areas of the state. 11.1% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 15.9% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural California is 4.6, while in urban California, it is 4.2% (USDA-ERS, 2022).