United States

The United States covers 3,537,438 square miles, with a 2021 estimated population of 331,893,745 people – 46,082,589 living in rural areas (USDA-ERS). According to 2021 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 75.8% of the nation's population is White, 13.6% is African-American, 6.1% is Asian, 1.3% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.3% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 18.9% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Rural Healthcare Facilities

According to data.HRSA.gov, as of January 2023 the United States had:

• 1,360 Critical Access Hospitals
• 5,187 Rural Health Clinics
• 4,597 Federally Qualified Health Centers located outside of Urbanized Areas
• 1,060 short term hospitals located outside of Urbanized Areas

Selected Social Determinants of Health

Most Americans have some form of health insurance coverage, however 8.3% of the nation's residents are uninsured (Kaiser, 2021). According to the Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for all Americans in 2020 was $59,510, with the rural per capita income at $45,917. The ERS reports, based on 2020 ACS data, that the poverty rate in the rural U.S. is 14.4%, compared with 11.9% nationwide. 12.5% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 11.1% across the nation lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The rural unemployment rate is at 4.7% while the urban rate is 5.4% (USDA-ERS, 2021).

Data Sources
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets