What is Rural? – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on What is Rural?.
Data Gem: Are You in an Urban or Rural Area?
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Video highlighting 3 ways to identify a location as either urban or rural using U.S. Census Bureau tools. Transcript linked underneath the video player.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Rural Health Disparities and Differences in Definitions of Rurality
Examines health disparities and differences in healthcare characteristics between rural and nonrural counties using data from the 2023 County Health Rankings and 2021-2022 Area Health Resources Files. Compares community health and healthcare characteristics by two county-level urban-rural classification systems: Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) and Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs). Explores the degree to which four county-level classification systems - RUCC, CBSA, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties, and Urban Influence Codes (UIC) - agree regarding which counties are designated as rural.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Examines health disparities and differences in healthcare characteristics between rural and nonrural counties using data from the 2023 County Health Rankings and 2021-2022 Area Health Resources Files. Compares community health and healthcare characteristics by two county-level urban-rural classification systems: Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) and Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs). Explores the degree to which four county-level classification systems - RUCC, CBSA, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties, and Urban Influence Codes (UIC) - agree regarding which counties are designated as rural.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Urban Influence Varies Widely Across the Country
Map showing the December 2024 Urban Influence Code status for counties in all 50 states.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Map showing the December 2024 Urban Influence Code status for counties in all 50 states.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Reconceptualizing Rurality: Exploring Community Capital to Identify Distinct Rural Classes in the United States
Analyzes latent classes of rurality within population health settings, identifying 4 rural classes and examining contextual characteristics and degree of social vulnerability for each class.
Author(s): Jennifer L. Cruz, Douglas A. Luke, Rachel M. Ceballos, Shoba Ramanadhan, Karen M. Emmons
Citation: SSM - Population Health, 29, 101729
Date: 01/2025
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Analyzes latent classes of rurality within population health settings, identifying 4 rural classes and examining contextual characteristics and degree of social vulnerability for each class.
Author(s): Jennifer L. Cruz, Douglas A. Luke, Rachel M. Ceballos, Shoba Ramanadhan, Karen M. Emmons
Citation: SSM - Population Health, 29, 101729
Date: 01/2025
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Resources for Measuring Rurality in Research on Maternity Care
Explores how different measures of rurality influence research outcomes, with a focus on maternal health research. Describes multiple measures and definitions commonly employed to categorize rural populations. Discusses the implications of these definitions for research, public health interventions, and policy formulation.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Emily C. Sheffield, Mary-Jane Adole, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Explores how different measures of rurality influence research outcomes, with a focus on maternal health research. Describes multiple measures and definitions commonly employed to categorize rural populations. Discusses the implications of these definitions for research, public health interventions, and policy formulation.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Emily C. Sheffield, Mary-Jane Adole, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Changes to Population Distribution and Commuting Patterns Blur the Line Between Rural and Urban
Highlights the change in commuting patterns between rural workers and urban areas and describes the impact on rural communities and economies. Discusses the multiple definitions of rural.
Author(s): Earlene K.P. Dowell
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Highlights the change in commuting patterns between rural workers and urban areas and describes the impact on rural communities and economies. Discusses the multiple definitions of rural.
Author(s): Earlene K.P. Dowell
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Core Based Statistical Areas
Provides an overview of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs). Identifies key terms related to CBSAs, including central counties, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, outlying counties, and more. Includes information on revisions and updates to CBSAs, relevant legislation, and issues of interest for Congress.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs). Identifies key terms related to CBSAs, including central counties, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, outlying counties, and more. Includes information on revisions and updates to CBSAs, relevant legislation, and issues of interest for Congress.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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'Rurality' of Nonmetropolitan Counties Varies Across Regions
Presents a map of metro and nonmetro counties based on the 2023 Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Breaks down the counties on a nine-level scale of rurality.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Presents a map of metro and nonmetro counties based on the 2023 Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Breaks down the counties on a nine-level scale of rurality.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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In Search of Rural: How Varying Definitions Shape Housing Research
Describes the effect of rural definitions on rural housing research. Categorizes rural definitions by type, and compares data produced by applying 11 rural definitions to 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Discusses definition impacts on estimated rural demographics and housing stock, characteristics, and challenges. Includes state-by-state estimates of rural population share for each definition.
Author(s): Alexander Hermann, Whitney Airgood-Obrycki
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (JCHS)
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Describes the effect of rural definitions on rural housing research. Categorizes rural definitions by type, and compares data produced by applying 11 rural definitions to 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Discusses definition impacts on estimated rural demographics and housing stock, characteristics, and challenges. Includes state-by-state estimates of rural population share for each definition.
Author(s): Alexander Hermann, Whitney Airgood-Obrycki
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (JCHS)
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How Rural Is All of Us? Comparing Characteristics of Rural Participants in the National Institute of Health's All of Us Research Program to Other National Data Sources
Compares the All of Us health research dataset that utilizes self-reported rurality to other nationally representative data sources that represent rurality. Discusses implications of using the All for Us dataset as a proxy measure of rurality in health research.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Shawna R. Beese, Demetrius A. Abshire, Kevin J. Bennett
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(4), 745-751
Date: 2024
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Compares the All of Us health research dataset that utilizes self-reported rurality to other nationally representative data sources that represent rurality. Discusses implications of using the All for Us dataset as a proxy measure of rurality in health research.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Shawna R. Beese, Demetrius A. Abshire, Kevin J. Bennett
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(4), 745-751
Date: 2024
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Last Updated: 4/10/2025