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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Mapping Hearing Loss in the United States
Interactive map displaying estimated rates of hearing loss by state and county. Allows filtering by severity, age group, race and ethnicity, gender, and more. Provides overlays of audiologists per capita, self-reported disabilities, high-risk occupations, sociodemographics, income and poverty, and prosperity. Utilizes data from an associated study, The Prevalence of Bilateral Hearing Loss in the United States in 2019: A Small Area Estimation Modeling Approach for Obtaining National, State, and County Level Estimates by Demographic Subgroup.
Additional links: Data Highlights
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organizations: NORC at the University of Chicago, Sound Check
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Conrad 30 Slots Filled Data
Provides state-level data on the Conrad 30 program in fiscal years 2000 through 2023. Includes breakdowns by slots used for primary care physicians and sub-specialists, how many were placed in rural or nonrural areas, and how many Flex spots were used.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: 3RNET
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Emergency Department Volume and Capacity by Facility, Health Category and Health Professional Shortage Area
Visualization showing the ratio between 2021 California emergency department (ED) visits and number of ED treatment stations as a measure of burden on the ED. Visualization can be filtered by health condition, facility, Mental Health or Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), county, urban/rural designation, and more. Includes key findings based on the data presented.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: California Department of Health Care Access and Information
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North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS): Calendar Year 2022 Results
Provides survey data on health behaviors and health status in North Carolina for the year 2022. Covers access to care, wellness, nutrition, chronic conditions, tobacco use, cancer screening and survivorship, COVID-19, disability, race and ethnicity, and more. Includes breakdowns by urban/suburban/rural county.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
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Populations at Risk
Tool offering downloadable socioeconomic reports covering age, race and ethnicity, educational attainment, language proficiency, poverty, assistance programs, employment, and housing. Includes ability to compare locations by census tract, city, county, state, tribal, metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas.
Type: Tool
Sponsoring organization: Headwaters Economics
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Closing the Broadband Infrastructure Gap: State Grant Funds and the Digital Divide
Analyzes Pew Trusts data on awarded broadband grants in 17 states between 2014 and 2020 to determine common characteristics of funded projects, criteria for allocation, and communities reached. Includes discussion of implications for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funds and the impact on existing disparities. Offers rural and urban comparisons.
Additional links: Q&A with Pew Trusts, Summary
Author(s): Natassia A. Bravo, Mildred E. Warner
Type: Document
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New Mexico Home Visiting Surveillance Report 2018-2020
Surveyed people that gave birth between 2018 and 2020 in New Mexico about their experiences with home visiting services. Includes rural and urban comparisons.
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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Health Center Workforce Well-Being Survey Dashboard
Presents survey data collected between November 2022 and January 2023 from approximately half of health centers nationwide. Covers drivers and outcomes measures of health center workforce well-being, including job satisfaction, engagement, burnout, and intention to stay. Allows user to filter by health center size, rural or urban status, and more.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Teens
Provides data on health topics such as bullying, stressful life events, social and emotional supports, healthcare access and quality, mental health, physical activity, sleep, screen time, alternative health, and health status for youth aged 12-17. Includes July 2021-December 2022 data breakdowns according to demographics, socioeconomic status, and urbanicity by large central and fringe metro, medium and small metro, or nonmetropolitan.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Area and Road Ruggedness Scales
Provides measures of topographic variation for 2010 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.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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