Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Social Determinants of Health for Rural People – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Social Determinants of Health for Rural People.

U.S. Employment in Metro and Nonmetro Areas, 2007–22
Line chart showing U.S. employment in metro and nonmetro areas from 2007 through 2022, as a percent of 2007 employment.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
The U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health
Provides an overview of social determinants of health (SDOH) and the links between SDOH and health outcomes. Describes federal actions to date to address SDOH and outlines a set of framework actions that federal agencies are undertaking to support health by improving the social circumstances of individuals and communities. Highlights federal programs, toolkits, and guidance that front-line workers and organizations can use to improve the delivery of health and social services. Includes rural and tribal references throughout.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The White House
view details
Health is Primary: Charting a Path to Equity and Sustainability
Examines factors driving the downward trends in primary care, including fewer clinicians practicing primary care, fewer available appointments, lower spending on primary care, and fewer adults reporting that they have a usual source of primary care. Features a literature review, supply and demand analysis, and recommendations for potential solutions. Mentions rural throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Slide Presentation
Author(s): Alison Huffstetler, Ann Greiner, Anam Siddiqi, et al.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Primary Care Collaborative, Robert Graham Center
view details
Key Informant Perspectives on Rural Housing and Health
Summarizes findings from interviews with key informants from 27 national organizations and federal agencies regarding rural-specific barriers to housing and identifies three themes: availability, age and quality of housing stock, and affordability. Describes impacts of rural housing challenges on health. Discusses policy recommendations for addressing housing-related issues to improve rural health.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Katie Rydberg, Madeleine Pick, Mariana Tuttle, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
Household Food Security in the United States in 2022
Reports on household food security, food expenditures, and use of federal food and nutrition assistance programs in 2022. Includes food insecurity statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Discusses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on nutrition programs usage.
Additional links: Recorded Webinar, Report Summary, Statistical Supplement
Author(s): Matthew P. Rabbitt, Laura J. Hales, Michael P. Burke, Alisha Coleman-Jensen
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Rural/Urban Differences in Receipt of Governmental Rental Assistance: Relationship to Health and Disability
Examines the relationship of housing to health and disability. Utilizes 2021 National Health Interview Survey data to analyze home ownership and rental assistance by rural versus urban location, with further breakdowns by age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, education and employment status, self-rated health, region, and disability status.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Alexis Swendener, Katie Rydberg, Megan Lahr, Hawking Yam
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
view details
Rural-Urban Disparities in Health Outcomes, Clinical Care, Health Behaviors, and Social Determinants of Health and an Action-Oriented, Dynamic Tool for Visualizing Them
Examines county-level disparities in rural and urban health outcomes and presents a health equity dashboard depicting the disparities. Utilizes 2015 and 2019 County Health Rankings datasets to analyze measures such as health outcomes, clinical care, health behaviors, physical environment, and social and economic factors according to urban, suburban, and rural location.
Author(s): William B. Weeks, Ji E. Chang, José A. Pagán, et al.
Citation: PLOS Global Public Health, 3(10)
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
view details
Rural Housing, featuring David Lipsetz
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring David Lipsetz, President and CEO of the Housing Assistance Council. Focuses on housing in rural communities, and the funding programs and organizations that support safe and affordable rural housing.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Income in the United States: 2022
Reports on income levels for 2021 and 2022, along with the percent change from 2021 to 2022. Includes statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Based on data from the 2023 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Poverty in the United States: 2022
Reports on poverty rates for 2021 and 2022, including changes in official poverty and changes in the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate. Includes statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Based on data from the 2023 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details

Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 11/21/2023