Indiana covers 35,867 square miles, with a 2020 estimated population of 6,785,528 people – 1,465,950 living in rural Indiana (USDA-ERS). Indianapolis, the capital, is located in the central part of the state. The state's largest cities are Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Evansville. According to 2021 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 84.8% of the state's population is white, 9.9% is African-American, 2.6% is Asian, 0.4% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.1% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 7.3% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Indiana Rural Healthcare Facilities

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Indiana

6.1% of the Indiana residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2020). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for all Indianans in 2020 was $51,926, with the rural per capita income at $46,092. The ERS reports, based on 2019 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Indiana is 11.2%, compared with 12.0% in urban areas of the state. 13.2% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 10.6% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2015-2019 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Indiana is at 6.5% while in urban Indiana it is at 7.3% (USDA-ERS, 2020).

Indiana State Office of Rural Health
Phone: 317.233.7734
Helps Indiana's rural communities build their healthcare delivery systems. Works to enhance the growth of public health services, funding sources, and education opportunities for every Indiana rural resident. Supports the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program and the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP). Works within the Indiana State Department of Health's Office of Primary Care.
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