Finding Statistics and Data Related to Rural Health – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Finding Statistics and Data Related to Rural Health.
Finding 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics Data for Urban and Rural Geographic Components
Brief video providing a step-by-step demonstration of how to find the urban and rural data available in the 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Brief video providing a step-by-step demonstration of how to find the urban and rural data available in the 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Why the Federal Government Needs to Change How It Collects Data on Native Americans
Describes how the federal government collects data on race and ethnicity and resulting inaccuracies that impact data on American Indian and Alaska Native people. Identifies a number of issues related to race and ethnicity data, including how information on multiracial individuals is looked at and potential changes to how Hispanic identity will be considered. Discusses policy and research implications and offers recommendations for data collection.
Author(s): Robert Maxim, Gabriel R. Sanchez, Kimberly R. Huyser
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Brookings Institution
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Describes how the federal government collects data on race and ethnicity and resulting inaccuracies that impact data on American Indian and Alaska Native people. Identifies a number of issues related to race and ethnicity data, including how information on multiracial individuals is looked at and potential changes to how Hispanic identity will be considered. Discusses policy and research implications and offers recommendations for data collection.
Author(s): Robert Maxim, Gabriel R. Sanchez, Kimberly R. Huyser
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Brookings Institution
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Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties
Identifies metro and nonmetro counties with one or more confirmed cases of COVID-19. Final report in a series, with data through March 9, 2023.
Additional links: Animated Map: Counties with COVID-19 Cases, Progression Over Time
Author(s): Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Identifies metro and nonmetro counties with one or more confirmed cases of COVID-19. Final report in a series, with data through March 9, 2023.
Additional links: Animated Map: Counties with COVID-19 Cases, Progression Over Time
Author(s): Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Assessing the 2020 Census: Final Report
Evaluates the quality of the 2020 Census, highlights successful innovations, describes the impact of COVID-19, and offers recommendations for planning and carrying out the 2030 Census. Describes data quality concerns, particularly for areas with high concentration of American Indian and Alaska Native populations among other races and ethnicities. Discusses the challenge of balancing the need for accurate data with the privacy concerns of small areas and population groups.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Evaluates the quality of the 2020 Census, highlights successful innovations, describes the impact of COVID-19, and offers recommendations for planning and carrying out the 2030 Census. Describes data quality concerns, particularly for areas with high concentration of American Indian and Alaska Native populations among other races and ethnicities. Discusses the challenge of balancing the need for accurate data with the privacy concerns of small areas and population groups.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Taking Stock: Rural People, Rural Places, Rural Housing
Provides an overview of rural definitions, people, places, housing, and poverty in the United States. Includes U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census of Population and Housing data that illustrate trends in rural demographics and economy, with data depicted through statistics, charts, and maps. Discusses social determinants of health (SDOH) and issues such as COVID-19, natural disasters, equity, and more.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Provides an overview of rural definitions, people, places, housing, and poverty in the United States. Includes U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census of Population and Housing data that illustrate trends in rural demographics and economy, with data depicted through statistics, charts, and maps. Discusses social determinants of health (SDOH) and issues such as COVID-19, natural disasters, equity, and more.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study: Findings Report
Report discusses the lifetime and past-year prevalence of mental health disorders and past-year substance use across the United States. Breaks down prevalence data by age, race, diagnosis, and rurality, among other measures.
Author(s): H. Ringeisen, M. Edlund, H. Guyer, et al.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: RTI International
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Report discusses the lifetime and past-year prevalence of mental health disorders and past-year substance use across the United States. Breaks down prevalence data by age, race, diagnosis, and rurality, among other measures.
Author(s): H. Ringeisen, M. Edlund, H. Guyer, et al.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: RTI International
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An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line
Examines the strengths and weaknesses of the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) and makes recommendations to update it to better reflect the resources available to households. Includes discussion of geographic variation in the cost of living in metropolitan versus nonmetro areas and the potential for a finer level of detail to reveal variations for expenses like housing and transportation.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Examines the strengths and weaknesses of the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) and makes recommendations to update it to better reflect the resources available to households. Includes discussion of geographic variation in the cost of living in metropolitan versus nonmetro areas and the potential for a finer level of detail to reveal variations for expenses like housing and transportation.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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U.S. Poverty Rates Differ by Age and County
Presents a series of U.S. county-level maps that show poverty rates among children and older adults using American Community Service (ACS) 5-year estimates for 2017-2021.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Presents a series of U.S. county-level maps that show poverty rates among children and older adults using American Community Service (ACS) 5-year estimates for 2017-2021.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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The Negative Effect of Differential Privacy and Synthetic Data from the U.S. Census Bureau on Rural Health and Communities
Policy brief discussing how changes to U.S. Census Bureau data collection to protect privacy could impact the use of this data to understand population dynamics and health among rural and racial and ethnic minority populations. Offers policy recommendations for the U.S. Census Bureau.
Author(s): Whitney Zahnd
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing how changes to U.S. Census Bureau data collection to protect privacy could impact the use of this data to understand population dynamics and health among rural and racial and ethnic minority populations. Offers policy recommendations for the U.S. Census Bureau.
Author(s): Whitney Zahnd
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Nursing Homes in Rural America: A Chartbook
Explores county-level nursing home availability and evaluates the supply of nursing home beds per 1,000 population aged 65 and older. Identifies nursing home availability for counties with and without hospitals with swing beds, and describes the resident and nursing home characteristics including occupancy levels, payer mix, demographics, and healthcare needs. Features statistics with breakdowns by noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Lili Xu, Fred Ullrich, Clint MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Explores county-level nursing home availability and evaluates the supply of nursing home beds per 1,000 population aged 65 and older. Identifies nursing home availability for counties with and without hospitals with swing beds, and describes the resident and nursing home characteristics including occupancy levels, payer mix, demographics, and healthcare needs. Features statistics with breakdowns by noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Lili Xu, Fred Ullrich, Clint MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Last Updated: 7/7/2025