Policymakers and researchers frequently have to address issues that require an understanding of how rural areas are distinct from urban. ERS has developed several classification schemes to measure rurality and to capture the economic and social diversity in rural America. These schemes classify areas on the basis of population size, proximity to a metropolitan area, degree of urbanization, population of the largest city, commuting patterns, as well as primary economic activity and policy relevancy.

Publications (see all)

• Farm Household Economics and Well-Being
• Farm Income and Costs
• Farm Structure
• Land Use, Value, and Management
• Measuring Rurality
• Rural Income, Poverty, and Welfare
• Rural Labor and Education
• Rural Population and Migration