North Carolina

State Office of Rural Health

North Carolina Office of Rural Health

Phone: 919.527.6440

Provides technical assistance to small hospitals and community health centers in rural and medically underserved communities, recruits healthcare providers to work in these communities, and provides grants for community health centers.
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North Carolina Nonmetro Population

10,470,214

Estimated population

2,203,870 (21.0%)

People living in nonmetro areas

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

North Carolina Rural Healthcare Facilities

20

Critical Access Hospitals

0

Rural Emergency Hospitals

90

Rural Health Clinics

264

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

37

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 North Carolina

9.4% of North Carolina residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2022). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for North Carolina residents in 2021 was $56,173, with the rural per capita income at $47,541. The ERS reports, based on 2021 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural North Carolina is 17.8%, compared with 12.3% in urban areas of the state. 14.6% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 10.0% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural North Carolina is 4.1%, while in urban North Carolina it is 3.5% (USDA-ERS, 2022).