Alabama

State Office of Rural Health

Alabama Office of Primary Care and Rural Health

Phone: 334.206.5396

Facilitates and supports activities which improve access to health care services for rural Alabamians, with special concern for children, the elderly, minorities and other medically underserved vulnerable populations. Part of the Alabama Department of Public Health.
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Alabama Nonmetro Population

5,028,092

Estimated population

1,118,328 (22.2%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-year estimate

Alabama Rural Healthcare Facilities

6

Critical Access Hospitals

0

Rural Emergency Hospitals

156

Rural Health Clinics

125

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

48

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (July 2024), showing only locations outside of U.S. Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Alabama

8.6% of Alabama residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2022). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Alabama residents in 2021 was $49,769, with the rural capita income at $42,896. The ERS reports, based on 2021 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Alabama is 19.7%, compared with 15.3% in urban areas of the state. 17.2% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 11.2% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Alabama is 2.8%, while in urban Alabama it is 2.5% (USDA-ERS, 2022).