Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural definitions
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
view details
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
view details
Non-Congregate Summer Meals
Provides an overview of the interim final rule allowing non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Includes information on rural definitions, meal types and distribution, associated research on non-congregate meal offerings, implementation and outreach strategies, and additional resources and webinars.
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
view details
Provides an overview of the interim final rule allowing non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Includes information on rural definitions, meal types and distribution, associated research on non-congregate meal offerings, implementation and outreach strategies, and additional resources and webinars.
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
view details
SC Rural Healthcare Resource Dashboard
Dashboard providing a summary table and interactive maps of public health data for South Carolina by county and zip code. Covers topics including provider distribution, health facilities, demographics, diseases and chronic conditions, health behaviors, healthcare utilization patterns, rural definitions, primary care provider need, obstetric service need, and more.
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare
view details
Dashboard providing a summary table and interactive maps of public health data for South Carolina by county and zip code. Covers topics including provider distribution, health facilities, demographics, diseases and chronic conditions, health behaviors, healthcare utilization patterns, rural definitions, primary care provider need, obstetric service need, and more.
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare
view details
Area and Road Ruggedness Scales
Provides measures of topographic variation for 2020 census tracts, showing the ruggedness of terrain and roads. Identifies rurality and primary Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) code of each census tract along with ruggedness data. Also provides documentation, descriptions of each scale, and national maps. Includes access to 2010 Area and Road Ruggedness Scales, as well as a comparison of 2010 and 2020 versions.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Provides measures of topographic variation for 2020 census tracts, showing the ruggedness of terrain and roads. Identifies rurality and primary Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) code of each census tract along with ruggedness data. Also provides documentation, descriptions of each scale, and national maps. Includes access to 2010 Area and Road Ruggedness Scales, as well as a comparison of 2010 and 2020 versions.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Health Professional Shortage Areas: Louisiana
Provides information and definitions on Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), and Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs), as well as related HPSA opportunities and healthcare facilities. Includes county-level maps of primary care, dental, and mental HPSAs in Louisiana.
Sponsoring organization: Louisiana Department of Health
view details
Provides information and definitions on Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), and Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs), as well as related HPSA opportunities and healthcare facilities. Includes county-level maps of primary care, dental, and mental HPSAs in Louisiana.
Sponsoring organization: Louisiana Department of Health
view details
Defining Rural for Wisconsin
Explains rural classification systems of Wisconsin counties. Includes maps that define or illuminate rural areas via rural-urban continuum codes, index of relative rurality, rural population by Census tract, rural-urban commuting areas, housing density, location of Wisconsin hospitals, and drive time to emergency care.
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
view details
Explains rural classification systems of Wisconsin counties. Includes maps that define or illuminate rural areas via rural-urban continuum codes, index of relative rurality, rural population by Census tract, rural-urban commuting areas, housing density, location of Wisconsin hospitals, and drive time to emergency care.
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
What Is a Rural Hospital?
Explains the different definitions of rural and how they impact the number of hospitals in Texas considered rural.
Sponsoring organization: Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals
view details
Explains the different definitions of rural and how they impact the number of hospitals in Texas considered rural.
Sponsoring organization: Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals
view details
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
view details
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
view details