What is Rural? – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on What is Rural?.
Choosing Rural Definitions: Implications for Health Policy
Provides an overview of rural definitions and their policy implications. Discusses the factors that should be considered in selecting among rural definitions.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, et al.
Date: 03/2007
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Provides an overview of rural definitions and their policy implications. Discusses the factors that should be considered in selecting among rural definitions.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, et al.
Date: 03/2007
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Rural America (2010): Exploring Rural America Through the Lens of the 2010 Census Urban Delineation
Provides an overview of the U.S. Census Bureau's approach to defining rural areas for the 2010 Census, discusses the use of Decennial Census and American Community Survey data, and provides maps and data showing the distribution of the U.S. rural population. Explains concepts including urban deliniation, urbanized areas, urban clusters, and nonmetropolitan areas.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Provides an overview of the U.S. Census Bureau's approach to defining rural areas for the 2010 Census, discusses the use of Decennial Census and American Community Survey data, and provides maps and data showing the distribution of the U.S. rural population. Explains concepts including urban deliniation, urbanized areas, urban clusters, and nonmetropolitan areas.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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USAC Rurality Tier Search Tool
Allows users to determine the applicable rural tier for a specific site location to calculate the rural rate for telecommunications support through the RHC Telecom Program. Tiers include extremely rural, rural, less rural, and non-rural. Tool provides general information; rurality tiers are formally assigned through the review and approval of FCC forms.
Additional links: How to: Use the Rurality Tier Search Tool
Sponsoring organization: Universal Service Administrative Company
Allows users to determine the applicable rural tier for a specific site location to calculate the rural rate for telecommunications support through the RHC Telecom Program. Tiers include extremely rural, rural, less rural, and non-rural. Tool provides general information; rurality tiers are formally assigned through the review and approval of FCC forms.
Additional links: How to: Use the Rurality Tier Search Tool
Sponsoring organization: Universal Service Administrative Company
Related funding:
Rural Health Care Telecommunications (Telecom) Program
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Data for Rural Analysis
A collection of resources to help policymakers and researchers identify and describe rural and urban areas. Lists tools that can be used to determine rural status and degree of rurality and find county-level socioeconomic data. Also identifies other sources of rural data.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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A collection of resources to help policymakers and researchers identify and describe rural and urban areas. Lists tools that can be used to determine rural status and degree of rurality and find county-level socioeconomic data. Also identifies other sources of rural data.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Urban Influence Codes: Documentation
Explains the 9 categories of rural/urban classification included in the 2024 Urban Influence Codes from the Economic Research Service, which are used to categorize counties and county equivalents in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Includes a table showing population estimates and the number of counties in each category using 2020 Census data.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Explains the 9 categories of rural/urban classification included in the 2024 Urban Influence Codes from the Economic Research Service, which are used to categorize counties and county equivalents in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Includes a table showing population estimates and the number of counties in each category using 2020 Census data.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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How We Define Rural
Explains the major federal government definitions of rural and how they are used by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP).
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Explains the major federal government definitions of rural and how they are used by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP).
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties
Provides information on a six-level urban-rural classification scheme for U.S. counties and county-equivalent entities developed by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Includes access to data files and reports describing the classification scheme.
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Provides information on a six-level urban-rural classification scheme for U.S. counties and county-equivalent entities developed by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Includes access to data files and reports describing the classification scheme.
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Urban Influence Codes
A list of Urban Influence Codes (UICs) data sets. The 2024 UICs are a classification scheme that further subdivides metropolitan counties by the population size of their metro area, and nonmetropolitan counties by the size of their largest city or town and proximity to metro and micropolitan areas. This scheme allows researchers to break down county data into finer residential groups for the analysis of trends in nonmetro areas.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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A list of Urban Influence Codes (UICs) data sets. The 2024 UICs are a classification scheme that further subdivides metropolitan counties by the population size of their metro area, and nonmetropolitan counties by the size of their largest city or town and proximity to metro and micropolitan areas. This scheme allows researchers to break down county data into finer residential groups for the analysis of trends in nonmetro areas.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) Data Files
A set of 4 Excel files identifying nonmetro counties and rural census tracts (CTs) that comprise rural areas as defined by the FORHP including: nonmetro counties (micropolitan and non-core based counties) and eligible census tracts in metropolitan counties, outlying metro counties with no Urbanized Areas, FORHP eligible ZIP Codes, and FORHP ZIP codes by county.
Additional links: FORHP Eligible ZIP Codes, FORHP ZIP Codes by County, List of 295 Outlying Metro Counties with No Urbanized Areas, Nonmetro Counties (Micropolitan and non-core based counties) and Eligible Census Tracts in Metropolitan Counties
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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A set of 4 Excel files identifying nonmetro counties and rural census tracts (CTs) that comprise rural areas as defined by the FORHP including: nonmetro counties (micropolitan and non-core based counties) and eligible census tracts in metropolitan counties, outlying metro counties with no Urbanized Areas, FORHP eligible ZIP Codes, and FORHP ZIP codes by county.
Additional links: FORHP Eligible ZIP Codes, FORHP ZIP Codes by County, List of 295 Outlying Metro Counties with No Urbanized Areas, Nonmetro Counties (Micropolitan and non-core based counties) and Eligible Census Tracts in Metropolitan Counties
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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County Rurality Level: 2010
Spreadsheet that identifies, for each county in the U.S., the total, urban, and rural population, as well as the percent of the county population that is rural, based on 2010 Census data.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Spreadsheet that identifies, for each county in the U.S., the total, urban, and rural population, as well as the percent of the county population that is rural, based on 2010 Census data.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Last Updated: 12/17/2025