Rural Health Disparities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Health Disparities.
Maternal and Infant Health Mapping Tool
Map-based access to county-level data on maternal health, infant health, and health resources. Includes data on pre-pregnancy health status, preterm births, infant mortality, access to prenatal care, availability of providers, health insurance coverage, demographics, and more.
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
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Map-based access to county-level data on maternal health, infant health, and health resources. Includes data on pre-pregnancy health status, preterm births, infant mortality, access to prenatal care, availability of providers, health insurance coverage, demographics, and more.
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
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Solutions in Health Analytics for Rural Equity across the Northwest
Highlights rural health disparities in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Presents data on mental and behavioral health, obesity and physical activity, diabetes, tobacco use, oral health, and demographic factors such as housing, education, and health insurance, among others.
Sponsoring organization: Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (NWCPHP)
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Highlights rural health disparities in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Presents data on mental and behavioral health, obesity and physical activity, diabetes, tobacco use, oral health, and demographic factors such as housing, education, and health insurance, among others.
Sponsoring organization: Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (NWCPHP)
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Cancer
Provides data and maps reflecting cancer incidence and mortality, comparing rural, nonmetro urban, and metro counties. Explores urban and rural disparities regarding cancer type, access to healthcare for rural residents, risk factors for cancer incidence, and preventative care.
Sponsoring organization: National Cancer Institute
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Provides data and maps reflecting cancer incidence and mortality, comparing rural, nonmetro urban, and metro counties. Explores urban and rural disparities regarding cancer type, access to healthcare for rural residents, risk factors for cancer incidence, and preventative care.
Sponsoring organization: National Cancer Institute
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Life and Health in Rural America
Series of articles based on reports by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on life and health in rural America.
Sponsoring organizations: NPR, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Series of articles based on reports by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on life and health in rural America.
Sponsoring organizations: NPR, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Journal of Appalachian Health
Highlights issues relating to the health and wellness of rural Appalachian communities. Features peer-reviewed, open access research on health outcomes in Appalachia.
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky College of Public Health
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Highlights issues relating to the health and wellness of rural Appalachian communities. Features peer-reviewed, open access research on health outcomes in Appalachia.
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky College of Public Health
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Rural Health
Features rural health initiatives, articles, and other related content to demonstrate the connection between health, rural community and economic development.
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Features rural health initiatives, articles, and other related content to demonstrate the connection between health, rural community and economic development.
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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CDC Rural Health
Provides an overview of rural health concerns, access to CDC-produced reports highlighting rural health issues, and examples of resources and successful approaches to improve health in rural communities. Topics addressed include a range of public health and population health concerns.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Provides an overview of rural health concerns, access to CDC-produced reports highlighting rural health issues, and examples of resources and successful approaches to improve health in rural communities. Topics addressed include a range of public health and population health concerns.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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MMWR Reports by Topic: Rural Health
A collection of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report articles focused on rural health issues.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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A collection of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report articles focused on rural health issues.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Mapping Medicare Disparities
Provides access to county-level data and comparisons on chronic disease prevalence, Medicare spending, hospital and emergency department utilization, preventive services, and preventable hospitalizations, readmissions, and mortality rates for Medicare beneficiaries. Also offers 2018 Medicare Advantage encounter data. Includes hospital-level quality of care and cost of care data and comparisons as well as social determinants of health data for both the Medicare and non-Medicare population down to the census tract level.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides access to county-level data and comparisons on chronic disease prevalence, Medicare spending, hospital and emergency department utilization, preventive services, and preventable hospitalizations, readmissions, and mortality rates for Medicare beneficiaries. Also offers 2018 Medicare Advantage encounter data. Includes hospital-level quality of care and cost of care data and comparisons as well as social determinants of health data for both the Medicare and non-Medicare population down to the census tract level.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Exploring Rural and Urban Mortality Differences
Offers a variety of data tables and online tools that display indicators of mortality rates by age, rurality, region, and sex to help researchers examine the impact of rurality on mortality.
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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Offers a variety of data tables and online tools that display indicators of mortality rates by age, rurality, region, and sex to help researchers examine the impact of rurality on mortality.
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Appalachia
- Delta Region
- Health disparities
- Rural-urban differences
- The South
- U.S.-Mexico Border Region
Last Updated: 4/10/2025