Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Time to Work Together: Our Roles in Keeping and Attracting Residents
Provides data, information, and Minnesota maps related to migration patterns, county-level demographics and recreation categories, population changes, and more, with breakdowns according to entirely rural, town/rural mix, and urban/town/rural mix.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
view details
Legal-Involved Veterans Are Less Likely to Receive Guideline-Concordant Colorectal Cancer Screening
Examines rates of screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) for veterans who are legal-involved. Provides Veterans Health Administration (VHA) electronic health record data on CRC for veterans who are and who are not legal-involved, with further breakdowns by demographic variables, such as rurality.
Author(s): Kenneth J. Nieser, Alex H. S. Harris, Ingrid A. Binswanger, Sean C. Clark, Andrea K. Finlay
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 333
Date: 03/2025
view details
Beliefs of US Chiefs of Police about Substance Use Disorder, Fentanyl Exposure, Overdose Response, and Use of Discretion: Results from a National Survey
Examines police chief perceptions regarding substance use. Focuses on issues such as discretion when making arrests, overdose response, risks of fentanyl exposure, de-escalation practices, harmful drugs in their communities, and buprenorphine obtained via illicit means. Analyzes survey data from 276 police chiefs regarding their knowledge and attitudes on addiction and policing, with breakdowns according to their region, urbanicity, and experience.
Author(s): Amelia Bailey, Barbara Andraka-Christou, Saba Rouhani, et al.
Citation: Health & Justice, 13, 13
Date: 03/2025
view details
Policy Considerations: The Future of Group VIII (expansion) Medicaid Coverage in Ohio
Provides information on the impact of Medicaid Expansion legislation in Ohio. Includes county-level data on percentage of population enrolled in Medicaid Group VIII as of January 2025 as well as enrollee county type by metropolitan, suburban, Appalachian, or rural. Discusses access issues and potential policy considerations.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
view details
Rural–Urban Differences in Substance Use During Pregnancy
Examines perinatal substance use in rural and urban populations. Utilizes 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to analyze 3,499 pregnant women according to rural, small urban, and large urban location, as well as by demographic variables, health status, and type of substance use.
Author(s): Emma Kathryn Boswell, Olivia M. Hinds, Cassie Odahowski, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e70018
Date: 03/2025
view details
Pharmacy-Related Syringe Access Barriers: An Audit of Oregon Community Pharmacies
Examines barriers to purchasing over-the-counter (OTC) syringes in Oregon pharmacies. Utilizes a telephone audit (secret shopper) methodology to examine 425 pharmacies' willingness to sell OTC syringes by pharmacy type, syringe services program (SSP) availability, overdose rates, and rural versus urban county type.
Author(s): Victor Abreu, Marissa McGinnis, Savannah Justen, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 22, 37
Date: 03/2025
view details
Minnesota Population Declines while Households Increase
Provides county-level data on urban/city, change in households and populations since 1970, and household size. Includes breakdowns according to location: Hennepin and Ramsey, suburban/greater Minnesota urban, urban/town/rural mix, entirely rural or town/rural mix-recreational, town/rural mix, or entirely rural.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
view details
Rural Pennsylvania Shows Slight Population Decline but Attracts Out-of-State Residents
Presents detailed population trends at the county level for Pennsylvania and the rest of the United States. Features county-level maps showing percent change in population by Pennsylvania county from 2020 to 2024, change in net domestic and international migration, and statistics on domestic and international migration in urban and rural areas of Pennsylvania in these years.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
Transportation Issues Affecting Independent Grocers and Fresh Food Distribution: A Comparison Study of Rural and Urban Communities in the US
Examines the factors impacting fresh food distribution by independent grocers in rural and urban areas of the United States. Discusses food access, transportation concerns, roadways, logistics, markets, and more. Includes a profile of the northernmost rural counties in Wisconsin.
Author(s): Michelle Miller, Aichih (Jasmine) Chang, Regina Hirsch, Jim (Junmin) Shi, David Long
Date: 03/2025
view details
Comparative Effectiveness of Buprenorphine Adherence with Telemedicine Versus In-Person for Rural and Urban Patients
Compares adherence to buprenorphine for opioid use disorder in telemedicine versus in-person healthcare in rural and urban populations. Utilizes 2017–2022 data from 511 adults and compares 3,302 in-person and 519 telemedicine visits, with breakdowns according to patient characteristics, adherence, gaps in treatment, and rural versus urban location. Discusses changing legislative requirements related to buprenorphine treatment and the potential impact on rural populations.
Author(s): Thomas J. Reese, Nana Addo Padi-Adjirackor, Kevin N. Griffith, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 65(2), 102318
Date: 03/2025
view details