Photo: Andrew Armstrong, Pell City, Alabama
What is rural?
The United States government does not have a single definition of "rural"; instead, various agencies use different criteria for classification, based on their specific needs and objectives. These definitions often consider factors such as population size, density, geographic location, and proximity to urban areas. Here are some of the key definitions used by different U.S. government entities:
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National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
The NCHS employs a classification scheme for urban-rural classification that is used for health statistics and research. This system is based on the Metropolitan Statistical Area status and county population size to categorize areas from most urban to most rural.
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United States Census Bureau
The Census Bureau defines rural as any population, housing, or territory NOT classified as urban. Urban areas comprise urbanized areas (UAs) of 50,000 or more people and urban clusters (UCs) of at least 2,500 and less than 50,000 people. Essentially, rural encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area.
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Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
The OMB classifies areas as Metropolitan or Micropolitan Statistical Areas based on county sizes and core urban areas. A Metropolitan Statistical Area must have at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more inhabitants. In contrast, a Micropolitan Statistical Area must have at least one urban cluster of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000 inhabitants. Counties not included in these classifications are often considered rural.
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U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
The USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) uses several rural definitions for research and policy purposes, often based on the Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. These codes classify U.S. counties by the degree of urbanization and proximity to metro areas. The ERS also uses Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes, which categorize census tracts based on population density, urbanization, and daily commuting.
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Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
FORHP, part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), defines rural based on the Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes and considers additional exceptions based on state-defined rural areas for the purpose of eligibility for rural health programs and funding.