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Rural Health Information Hub

Finding Statistics and Data Related to Rural Health – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Finding Statistics and Data Related to Rural Health.

Analyzing Demographics Within Rural Populations: Considerations for Rural Public Health Research
A tip sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discussing best practices for using demographic data in rural public health research. Discusses when to disaggregate data, common demographic variables for discovering meaningful variation, practical considerations, and limitations.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: CDC Office of Rural Health
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Using Rural-Urban Variables: Considerations for Rural Public Health Research
A tip sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discussing best practices for using rural and urban variables in public health studies. Discusses rural definitions, differences in rural communities, including rural communities in interpretation, and more.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: CDC Office of Rural Health
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Rural America at a Glance: 2025 Edition
Provides an overview of social and economic factors affecting rural America, with a focus on population migration, poverty, and employment. Includes county-level maps as well as metro and nonmetro comparisons.
Author(s): Tracey Farrigan, Austin Sanders, Lauren Miller, et al.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Using Data to Understand Your Community
Provides ideas and steps in using data to understand your community's population. Includes a directory of websites for demographic, population, health, and other data for ZIP codes, cities, counties, and states.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Income in the United States: 2024
Reports on income levels for 2023 and 2024, along with the percent change from 2022 to 2023. Includes statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Based on data from the 2025 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements.
Author(s): Melissa Kollar, Zach Sherer
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Poverty in the United States: 2024
Reports on poverty rates for 2023 and 2024, 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 2025and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements.
Author(s): Emily A. Shrider, Christina Bijou
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: 2023
Highlights from the 2023 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), which provides single-year median household income and poverty statistics. Includes county-level maps showing income and poverty rates in 2023 and changes from 2022 to 2023 for the total population and children.
Additional links: Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: 2023 Report
Author(s): Sara B. Robinson, Sam A. Shirazi
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Data Gem: Access and Compare Rural vs. Urban Area Population Data
Video demonstrating how to compare rural and urban areas using data.census.gov. Transcript linked underneath the video player.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) Detailed Tables - 2024
Explores 2024 survey data on use of prescription and illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, trends in substance use disorder (SUD) and mental illness, and access to treatment for youth and adults. Features statistics for a variety of demographic and geographic characteristics, including rural versus urban status.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Understanding the Experience of Disabled Americans in Rural Communities through Data: The Data We Have, the Data We're Missing, and How to Close the Gap
Discusses the need for adequate rural disability data and inclusion of people with disabilities in research and policymaking. Provides suggestions to improve disability data collection in rural areas, focusing on collaboration, qualitative data collection, cultural and geographic sensitivity, transparency and accessibility in data systems, and funding and capacity-building.
Author(s): Susan J. Popkin, Alexis Weaver, Violet Sulka/Hewes, et al.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Last Updated: 2/27/2026