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Rural areas in the United States

April 09, 2024

Rural areas in the United States, often referred to as rural America,[1] consists of approximately 97% of the United States' land area. An estimated 60 million people, or one in five residents (17.9% of the total U.S. population), live in rural America. Definitions vary from different parts of the United States government as to what constitutes those areas.

Westminster, Vermont
A rural country road in Marshall County, Indiana

Rural areas tend to be poorer and their populations are older than in other parts of the United States because of rural flight, declining infrastructure, and fewer economic prospects. The declining population also results in less access to services, such as high-quality medical and education systems.

Definitions edit

The United States Census Bureau defines these areas in the United States as sparsely populated and far from urban centers, which make up an estimated 3% of the land area of the U.S., but is home to more than 80% of the total population. The United States Office of Management and Budget defines rural areas in the United States by county; some rural areas are classified into metropolitan counties.[2][3] Others are spread throughout the numerous micropolitan statistical areas.[4]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has four different systems for defining rural areas: Frontier and Remote (FAR) area codes, which define rural areas in four levels of increasing remoteness by ZIP code,[5] Rural–Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA), Urban Influence Codes (UICs), and Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC).[2][6]

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has two agencies that define rural areas. The Health Resources and Services Administration addresses the shortcomings of the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and RUCA definitions to produce a definition that is balanced between them.[3] The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services uses its own definition for setting Medicare payment rates.[2]

CityLab defines rural areas by congressional district, based on census tracts and a machine-learning algorithm.[7][8]

History edit

Rural America was the center of the Populist movement of the United States in the 1880s and 1890s.[9] Since the 1940s and 1950s, the rural United States has largely been a stronghold for the Republican Party.[10][11] A notable exception in recent times is Vermont, a highly rural state which has elected numerous Democrats to office in the 21st century.

Demographics edit

Most rural counties are experiencing persistent population decline.[12]

Compared with households in urban areas, rural households had lower median household income ($52,386 compared with $54,296), lower median home values ($151,300 compared with $190,900), and lower monthly housing costs for households paying a mortgage ($1,271 compared with $1,561). A higher percentage owned their housing units "free and clear," with no mortgage or loan (44.0 percent compared with 32.3 percent).[13]

 
Grants Chapel, Bonnerdale, Arkansas

States with the highest median household incomes in rural areas were Connecticut ($93,382) and New Jersey ($92,972) (not statistically different from each other). The state with the lowest rural median household income was Mississippi ($40,200). Among rural areas, poverty rates varied from a low in Connecticut (4.6 percent) to a high in New Mexico (21.9 percent).[13]

About 13.4 million children under the age of 18 live in rural areas of the nation.[13]

Children in rural areas had lower rates of poverty than those in urban areas (18.9 percent compared with 22.3 percent), but more of them were uninsured (7.3 percent compared with 6.3 percent). A higher percentage of "own children" in rural areas lived in married-couple households (76.3 percent compared with 67.4 percent). ("Own children" includes never-married biological, step and adopted children of the couple).[13]

As of 2016, about 7 percent of homeless people in the United States live in rural areas, although some believe that this is an underestimate.[14]

Health edit

See also: Medical deserts in the United States

There are significant health disparities between urban and rural areas of the United States. The per capita rate of primary care physicians is lower in rural areas of the country (65 primary care physicians per 100,000 rural Americans, compared to 105 primary care physicians for urban and suburban Americans).[15] Rural Americans are also more likely than other Americans to suffer from chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.[15]

A study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in 2015 analyzed data on U.S. youth suicide rates from 1996 to 2010. It found that the rates of suicides for rural Americans aged 10 to 24 was almost double the rate among their urban counterparts. This was attributed to social isolation, greater availability of guns, and difficulty accessing healthcare.[16]

Notwithstanding the economic and health challenges, a 2018 survey of rural adults found a majority felt they were better off financially than their parents at the same age. They thought their children would also experience such improvement. Forty percent said their lives came out better than they expected.[17]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ "What is Rural America?". United States Census Bureau. from the original on 2021-09-03. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  2. ^ a b c "Modernizing Rural Health Care: Coverage, quality and innovation" (PDF). unitedhealthgroup.com. UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Defining Rural Population". hrsa.gov. Health Resources & Services Administration. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  4. ^ "Standards for Defining Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas". Federal Register. 2000-12-27. from the original on 2021-09-03. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  5. ^ "2010 Frontier and Remote (FAR) Area Codes". usda.gov. USDA. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  6. ^ Fontanella, Cynthia A.; Hiance-Steelesmith, Danielle L.; Phillips, Gary S. (May 2015). "Widening Rural-Urban Disparities in Youth Suicides, United States, 1996-2010". JAMA Pediatrics. 169 (5): 466–73. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.3561. PMC 4551430. PMID 25751611.
  7. ^ Skelley, Geoffrey (November 1, 2018). "Democrats Can Get Close To A House Majority With Suburban Seats Alone". fivethirtyeight.com. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  8. ^ Montgomery, David H. "Methodology". github.com. GitHub. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  9. ^ ""Populism and Political Realignment"". Austin Community College District. Retrieved 2021-09-03. In the 1860s and 1870s the American agricultural community suffered from innumerable problems as the United States became increasingly urban and industrial. Farmers first sought to solve their own problems through the economic cooperatives founded by the Grange. When these self-help programs proved a failure, farmers began to demand that government respond to their plight. They increasingly turned to the Farmers Alliance, a new agrarian group which sought to pressure the major political parties and the Congress into adopting their demands. When, because of the nature of the Gilded Age party system, the Republicans and Democrats as well as Congress refused to respond or responded superficially, the Farmers Alliance evolved into a third political party known as the Populists. They were intent on wresting power from the Republicans and Democrats at both the state and federal level. While they failed to take over the national government through the electoral process, they would end the Gilded Age party system and prepare America for fundamental changes in government accomplished by others after the turn of the century.
  10. ^ "Why Rural America Is Increasingly Red". Governing. 2016-06-28. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  11. ^ Evans, Sean. "Why rural voters vote Republican". The Jackson Sun. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  12. ^ Swenson, David (May 24, 2019). "Dwindling population and disappearing jobs is the fate that awaits much of rural America". Marketwatch. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  13. ^ a b c d "New Census Data Show Differences Between Urban and Rural Populations". American Community Survey, 2011–15. Bureau of the Census. December 8, 2016.
  14. ^ Miles Bryan, In Rural America, Homeless Population May Be Bigger Than You Think, NPR All Things Considered (February 18, 2016).
  15. ^ a b Molly O'Toole, Healthcare access lagging in rural U.S.: report, Reuters (July 27, 2011).
  16. ^ Julie Beck, The Growing Risk of Suicide in Rural America, The Atlantic (March 10, 2015).
  17. ^ Smarsh, Sarah (September 17, 2019). "Opinion | Something Special Is Happening in Rural America". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 18, 2019.

Further reading edit

  • Cynthia M. Duncan, Worlds Apart: Poverty and Politics in Rural America (2d ed.: Yale University Press, 2014).

External links edit

April 09, 2024
rural, areas, united, states, often, referred, rural, america, consists, approximately, united, states, land, area, estimated, million, people, five, residents, total, population, live, rural, america, definitions, vary, from, different, parts, united, states,. Rural areas in the United States often referred to as rural America 1 consists of approximately 97 of the United States land area An estimated 60 million people or one in five residents 17 9 of the total U S population live in rural America Definitions vary from different parts of the United States government as to what constitutes those areas Westminster VermontA rural country road in Marshall County IndianaRural areas tend to be poorer and their populations are older than in other parts of the United States because of rural flight declining infrastructure and fewer economic prospects The declining population also results in less access to services such as high quality medical and education systems Contents 1 Definitions 2 History 3 Demographics 4 Health 5 See also 6 Notes 7 Further reading 8 External linksDefinitions editThe United States Census Bureau defines these areas in the United States as sparsely populated and far from urban centers which make up an estimated 3 of the land area of the U S but is home to more than 80 of the total population The United States Office of Management and Budget defines rural areas in the United States by county some rural areas are classified into metropolitan counties 2 3 Others are spread throughout the numerous micropolitan statistical areas 4 The U S Department of Agriculture has four different systems for defining rural areas Frontier and Remote FAR area codes which define rural areas in four levels of increasing remoteness by ZIP code 5 Rural Urban Commuting Areas RUCA Urban Influence Codes UICs and Rural Urban Continuum Codes RUCC 2 6 The United States Department of Health and Human Services has two agencies that define rural areas The Health Resources and Services Administration addresses the shortcomings of the U S Census Bureau the U S Office of Management and Budget and RUCA definitions to produce a definition that is balanced between them 3 The Centers for Medicare amp Medicaid Services uses its own definition for setting Medicare payment rates 2 CityLab defines rural areas by congressional district based on census tracts and a machine learning algorithm 7 8 History editRural America was the center of the Populist movement of the United States in the 1880s and 1890s 9 Since the 1940s and 1950s the rural United States has largely been a stronghold for the Republican Party 10 11 A notable exception in recent times is Vermont a highly rural state which has elected numerous Democrats to office in the 21st century Demographics editMost rural counties are experiencing persistent population decline 12 Compared with households in urban areas rural households had lower median household income 52 386 compared with 54 296 lower median home values 151 300 compared with 190 900 and lower monthly housing costs for households paying a mortgage 1 271 compared with 1 561 A higher percentage owned their housing units free and clear with no mortgage or loan 44 0 percent compared with 32 3 percent 13 nbsp Grants Chapel Bonnerdale ArkansasStates with the highest median household incomes in rural areas were Connecticut 93 382 and New Jersey 92 972 not statistically different from each other The state with the lowest rural median household income was Mississippi 40 200 Among rural areas poverty rates varied from a low in Connecticut 4 6 percent to a high in New Mexico 21 9 percent 13 About 13 4 million children under the age of 18 live in rural areas of the nation 13 Children in rural areas had lower rates of poverty than those in urban areas 18 9 percent compared with 22 3 percent but more of them were uninsured 7 3 percent compared with 6 3 percent A higher percentage of own children in rural areas lived in married couple households 76 3 percent compared with 67 4 percent Own children includes never married biological step and adopted children of the couple 13 As of 2016 about 7 percent of homeless people in the United States live in rural areas although some believe that this is an underestimate 14 Health editSee also Medical deserts in the United States There are significant health disparities between urban and rural areas of the United States The per capita rate of primary care physicians is lower in rural areas of the country 65 primary care physicians per 100 000 rural Americans compared to 105 primary care physicians for urban and suburban Americans 15 Rural Americans are also more likely than other Americans to suffer from chronic health conditions such as diabetes heart disease and cancer 15 A study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in 2015 analyzed data on U S youth suicide rates from 1996 to 2010 It found that the rates of suicides for rural Americans aged 10 to 24 was almost double the rate among their urban counterparts This was attributed to social isolation greater availability of guns and difficulty accessing healthcare 16 Notwithstanding the economic and health challenges a 2018 survey of rural adults found a majority felt they were better off financially than their parents at the same age They thought their children would also experience such improvement Forty percent said their lives came out better than they expected 17 See also editAgriculture in the United States American frontier Medical deserts in the United States Rural Electrification Act Rural internet Rural letter carrier List of U S states by population densityNotes edit What is Rural America United States Census Bureau Archived from the original on 2021 09 03 Retrieved 2021 09 03 a b c Modernizing Rural Health Care Coverage quality and innovation PDF unitedhealthgroup com UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform amp Modernization Retrieved April 7 2020 a b Defining Rural Population hrsa gov Health Resources amp Services Administration Retrieved March 30 2020 Standards for Defining Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Federal Register 2000 12 27 Archived from the original on 2021 09 03 Retrieved 2021 09 03 2010 Frontier and Remote FAR Area Codes usda gov USDA Retrieved March 30 2020 Fontanella Cynthia A Hiance Steelesmith Danielle L Phillips Gary S May 2015 Widening Rural Urban Disparities in Youth Suicides United States 1996 2010 JAMA Pediatrics 169 5 466 73 doi 10 1001 jamapediatrics 2014 3561 PMC 4551430 PMID 25751611 Skelley Geoffrey November 1 2018 Democrats Can Get Close To A House Majority With Suburban Seats Alone fivethirtyeight com Retrieved April 7 2020 Montgomery David H Methodology github com GitHub Retrieved April 7 2020 Populism and Political Realignment Austin Community College District Retrieved 2021 09 03 In the 1860s and 1870s the American agricultural community suffered from innumerable problems as the United States became increasingly urban and industrial Farmers first sought to solve their own problems through the economic cooperatives founded by the Grange When these self help programs proved a failure farmers began to demand that government respond to their plight They increasingly turned to the Farmers Alliance a new agrarian group which sought to pressure the major political parties and the Congress into adopting their demands When because of the nature of the Gilded Age party system the Republicans and Democrats as well as Congress refused to respond or responded superficially the Farmers Alliance evolved into a third political party known as the Populists They were intent on wresting power from the Republicans and Democrats at both the state and federal level While they failed to take over the national government through the electoral process they would end the Gilded Age party system and prepare America for fundamental changes in government accomplished by others after the turn of the century Why Rural America Is Increasingly Red Governing 2016 06 28 Retrieved 2021 09 03 Evans Sean Why rural voters vote Republican The Jackson Sun Retrieved 2021 09 03 Swenson David May 24 2019 Dwindling population and disappearing jobs is the fate that awaits much of rural America Marketwatch Retrieved September 18 2019 a b c d New Census Data Show Differences Between Urban and Rural Populations American Community Survey 2011 15 Bureau of the Census December 8 2016 Miles Bryan In Rural America Homeless Population May Be Bigger Than You Think NPR All Things Considered February 18 2016 a b Molly O Toole Healthcare access lagging in rural U S report Reuters July 27 2011 Julie Beck The Growing Risk of Suicide in Rural America The Atlantic March 10 2015 Smarsh Sarah September 17 2019 Opinion Something Special Is Happening in Rural America The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved September 18 2019 Further reading editCynthia M Duncan Worlds Apart Poverty and Politics in Rural America 2d ed Yale University Press 2014 External links editList of Rural Counties and Designated Eligible Census Tracts in Metropolitan Counties from the Office of Rural Health Policy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rural areas in the United States amp oldid 1182149351, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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