Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Rural and Urban Health Center Patients and Financing
Reports on rural and urban community health centers' revenue sources, patient demographics, and patient health insurance coverage using 2025 Uniform Data System (UDS) data. Includes an interactive map showing shares of child and adult rural health center patients covered by Medicaid by state.
Author(s): Akash Pillai, Jennifer Tolbert
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Reports on rural and urban community health centers' revenue sources, patient demographics, and patient health insurance coverage using 2025 Uniform Data System (UDS) data. Includes an interactive map showing shares of child and adult rural health center patients covered by Medicaid by state.
Author(s): Akash Pillai, Jennifer Tolbert
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Cancer Risk Factors, Screening, and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation Across the U.S. Urban-to-Frontier Continuum
Presents a study on geographic variation in cancer risk behaviors and screening across the metropolitan-to-frontier continuum. Identifies demographic characteristics and cancer-related behaviors and screening access in rural, urban, and frontier areas. Explores rates of alcohol use, tobacco use, and physical activity, among other factors, by geography.
Author(s): Brody Gibson, Laurie Grieshober, Rachel M Ceballos, et al.
Citation: Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs, lgag021
Date: 10/2026
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Presents a study on geographic variation in cancer risk behaviors and screening across the metropolitan-to-frontier continuum. Identifies demographic characteristics and cancer-related behaviors and screening access in rural, urban, and frontier areas. Explores rates of alcohol use, tobacco use, and physical activity, among other factors, by geography.
Author(s): Brody Gibson, Laurie Grieshober, Rachel M Ceballos, et al.
Citation: Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs, lgag021
Date: 10/2026
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America's Health Rankings 2026 Health of Women and Children Report
Provides a national and state-by-state overview of the health of infants, children, and women of reproductive age. Compares rural-urban differences in maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, healthcare access, substance use, mental health conditions, and more among reproductive-age women and children at the national level. Includes maps that show concentrated disadvantage by county within each state.
Additional links: Concentrated Disadvantage by County, State Summaries
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Provides a national and state-by-state overview of the health of infants, children, and women of reproductive age. Compares rural-urban differences in maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, healthcare access, substance use, mental health conditions, and more among reproductive-age women and children at the national level. Includes maps that show concentrated disadvantage by county within each state.
Additional links: Concentrated Disadvantage by County, State Summaries
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Medical Debt and Advanced Cancer Stage at Diagnosis
Explores how medical debt burden is associated with incidence of 9 common cancers at the county level, using 2017-2021 data from multiple national datasets. Includes comparisons of medical debt prevalence in rural versus urban counties.
Author(s): Jiazhang Xing, Xuesong Han, Xin Hu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(10), e2637508
Date: 10/2026
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Explores how medical debt burden is associated with incidence of 9 common cancers at the county level, using 2017-2021 data from multiple national datasets. Includes comparisons of medical debt prevalence in rural versus urban counties.
Author(s): Jiazhang Xing, Xuesong Han, Xin Hu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(10), e2637508
Date: 10/2026
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Rural and Urban Differences in the Trends in Supply of Home Care Workers From 2015 to 2024
Examines how the supply of direct care workers varies by rural or urban location using 2015-2024 American Community Survey data. Includes data comparisons by pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods.
Author(s): Diogo Miguel Goncalves Fortes, Katherine Miller
Citation: Journal of Applied Gerontology
Date: 10/2026
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Examines how the supply of direct care workers varies by rural or urban location using 2015-2024 American Community Survey data. Includes data comparisons by pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods.
Author(s): Diogo Miguel Goncalves Fortes, Katherine Miller
Citation: Journal of Applied Gerontology
Date: 10/2026
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Regional Highlights: Changes in Hospital-Based Obstetric Care in the US, 2010-2024
Describes changes in availability of obstetric services at hospitals in the 4 U.S. census regions, including hospitals that lost obstetric services and the percentage of all hospitals without obstetric services. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Kevan O'Hanlon, Emily C. Sheffield, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Describes changes in availability of obstetric services at hospitals in the 4 U.S. census regions, including hospitals that lost obstetric services and the percentage of all hospitals without obstetric services. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Kevan O'Hanlon, Emily C. Sheffield, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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The Financial Impact of Pregnancy and Childbirth Among Louisiana Medicaid Beneficiaries
Examines the relationship between pregnancy and financial health of women in Louisiana. Analyzes 2017-2020 Medicaid claims data and credit reports of 76,468 patients and provides breakdowns of credit scores, medical debt, and nonmedical debt by demographics, pregnancy status, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Brigham Walker, Ethan Tsai, Andrew Anderson, Melissa Evans, Kevin Callison
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(5), e70166
Date: 10/2026
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Examines the relationship between pregnancy and financial health of women in Louisiana. Analyzes 2017-2020 Medicaid claims data and credit reports of 76,468 patients and provides breakdowns of credit scores, medical debt, and nonmedical debt by demographics, pregnancy status, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Brigham Walker, Ethan Tsai, Andrew Anderson, Melissa Evans, Kevin Callison
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(5), e70166
Date: 10/2026
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Growing the Rural Physician Workforce Through Graduate Medical Education
Describes ways in which state and federal initiatives are working to expand rural medical training in North Carolina. Features statistics on physician residency programs with rural and community health center sites from 2008-2024.
Author(s): Emily M. Hawes, Mukesh Adhikari, Mark Holmes, et al.
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 87(3)
Date: 09/2026
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Describes ways in which state and federal initiatives are working to expand rural medical training in North Carolina. Features statistics on physician residency programs with rural and community health center sites from 2008-2024.
Author(s): Emily M. Hawes, Mukesh Adhikari, Mark Holmes, et al.
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 87(3)
Date: 09/2026
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2025: North Dakota Truck Crash Facts
Provide statistics on crashes involving trucks in North Dakota from 2018 through 2025. Includes data on cause of crash, manner of collision, location of collision, injuries and fatalities, and if the crash happened on a rural versus urban road.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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Provide statistics on crashes involving trucks in North Dakota from 2018 through 2025. Includes data on cause of crash, manner of collision, location of collision, injuries and fatalities, and if the crash happened on a rural versus urban road.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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Sociodemographic Characteristics of Nurses Entering and Leaving the US Nursing Workforce in 2018 and 2022
Describes the characteristics and job dynamics of the nursing workforce before and after the pandemic, including nurses entering and leaving the workforce. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural area for the 2022 data set.
Author(s): Kyla F. Woodward, Sue Skillman, Bianca K. Frogner
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9), qxag248
Date: 09/2026
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Describes the characteristics and job dynamics of the nursing workforce before and after the pandemic, including nurses entering and leaving the workforce. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural area for the 2022 data set.
Author(s): Kyla F. Woodward, Sue Skillman, Bianca K. Frogner
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9), qxag248
Date: 09/2026
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