Overview
Rural America is home to about 17 percent (50 million)
of the Nation's people, comprises over 2,000 counties, and accounts
for 75 percent of the Nation's land. ERS research explores how
investments in rural people, businesses, and communities affect
the capacity of rural economies to prosper in the new and changing
global marketplace.
Related Briefing Rooms
Features
Rural
America At A Glance, 2008 EditionThe 2007 edition
highlights the most recent indicators of social and economic conditions in rural
areas See
all At A Glance reports in the series.
Recommended Readings
Meat-Processing
Firms Attract Hispanic Workers to Rural AmericaOver the
past 40 years, the U.S. meat-processing industry has been transformed
by changing consumer preferences for meat products, which helped
trigger a consolidation within the industry and a relocation of
processing plants to rural areas. Bucking trends in the manufacturing
sector, meat processing has gained employment. Rapid population
growth and geographic dispersion of Hispanics since the 1990s has
helped meet the labor needs of rural-based meat-processing plants
and altered rural communities.
Low-Skill Employment and the Changing Economy of Rural AmericaThis
study reports trends in rural low-skill employment in the 1990s and their
impact on the rural workforce. The share of rural jobs classified as low-skill
fell by 2.2 percentage points between 1990 and 2000, twice the decline
of the urban low-skill employment share, but much less than the decline
of the 1980s. Employment shifts from low-skill to skilled occupations
within industries, rather than changes in industry mix, explain virtually
all of the decline in the rural low-skill employment share. The share
decline was particularly large for rural Black women, many of whom moved
out of low-skill blue-collar work into service occupations, while the
share of rural Hispanics who held low-skill jobs increased.
Recreation, Tourism, and Rural Well BeingBy looking at 311 rural recreation
counties, this study finds that recreation and tourism development benefits rural well-being by
increasing local employment, wage levels, and income, reducing poverty, and improving
education, and health. But rural recreation and tourism development is not without drawbacks,
including higher housing costs. Local effects also vary significantly, depending on the type
of recreation area. Read Rural Areas Benefit from Recreation
and Tourism Development or download a list of the recreation counties
in an Excel file.
Policy Options
for a Changing Rural AmericaThis Amber Waves feature
article discusses the policy implications of wide social and economic
differences among rural areas. Farming-dependent areas have nonfarm
sector development limited by remoteness from major urban markets
and low population density. Some manufacturing-dependent areas face
restructuring as global markets change demand for various products
and services. Low-education areas find it harder to compete in the
increasingly high-tech national jobs market. And, rural retirement
destination counties attract both young and old, stressing infrastructure
and public services in some of the fastest growing communities. This
diversity requires situationally specific development strategies rather
than a broad "one size fits all" rural policy.
The 20th Century Transformation of U.S. Agriculture and Farm PolicyThe structure of farms, farm households, and rural communities has evolved markedly over the last century. The report analyzes a wide range of historical data related to farm structure and provides perspective on the long-term forces that have helped shape agricultural and rural life. A review of some key policy developments also considers the extent to which farm policy design has or has not kept pace with the continuing transformation of American agriculture. See also Milestones in U.S. Farming and Farm Policy, an Amber Waves data feature based on this report.
The
Role of Education: Promoting the Economic and Social Vitality of Rural
AmericaThis publication reports findings from a 2003
conference on rural education and economic development sponsored
by ERS, the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC), and the Rural School
and Community Trust. Offering insight into the important and often fragile relationship
between rural schools and communities in America, the report comprises
nine articles divided into three area-specific sections: (1) Education,
Human Capital and the Local Economy, (2) Links between Rural Schools
and Communities and (3) Creating Successful Rural Schools and Students. Download the report from the SRDC website.
Agricultural
Income and Finance Situation and OutlookThis periodical
provides historical estimates and forecasts of farm sector financial
information that gauge the financial health of the Nation's farmers
and ranchers. Common topics include trends in farm sector receipts,
expenses, debt, assets, and costs of producing crops and livestock.
Each issue concentrates on a particular area of the farm financial
picture.
See all recommended readings...
Recommended Data Products
Rural DefinitionsMost Americans share a common image of rural—open countryside and small towns
at some distance from large urban centers—but not a common consensus on where
and how to draw the line between rural and urban. Dozens of definitions are currently
used by federal and State agencies, researchers, and policy makers. The ERS Rural
Definition data product allows users to make comparisons among nine representative
rural definitions, for the U.S. as a whole and for individual States. We include
socioeconomic indicators (population, education, poverty, etc.) that are commonly
used to highlight differences between urban and rural areas. Three display options
are available: national and State indicator tables; State-level maps; and an
interactive mapping utility.
Rural-Urban Commuting
Area CodesThe rural-urban commuting area codes (RUCA)
classify U.S. census tracts using measures of urbanization, population
density, and daily commuting from the decennial census. Codes
for 2000 and 1990 census tracts and ZIP codes are available.
Population Interaction Zones for Agriculture (PIZA)These indexes measure the degree of influence that nearby urban-related population exerts on agricultural land. The county-level and 5-kilometer indexes are based on a "gravity model" of urban influences.
2004 County Typology CodesAn
area's economic and social characteristics have significant effects on
its development and need for various types of public programs. ERS has
developed a new set of county-level typology codes that captures differences
in economic and social characteristics. An economic code separates counties
into six categories of industry dependence (farming, mining, manufacturing,
Federal and State government, services, and nonspecialized). Seven individual
policy codes differentiate housing stress, low education, low employment,
persistent poverty, population loss, nonmetro recreation, and retirement
destination counties from other counties. See the typology
code chapter in the measuring rurality briefing room for more information,
links to maps, and methodology.
2003 Urban Influence CodesThese
codes form a classification scheme that distinguishes metropolitan
counties by size and nonmetropolitan
counties by size of the largest city or town and proximity to metro and micro areas.
The standard Office of Management and Budget (OMB) metro and nonmetro
categories have been subdivided into two metro and 10 nonmetro categories, resulting
in a 12-part county codification. This scheme was originally developed
in 1993. This scheme allows researchers to break county data into
finer residential groups, beyond metro and nonmetro, particularly for
the analysis of trends in nonmetro areas that are related to population
density and metro influence.
2003 Rural-Urban Continuum CodesThe
2003 Rural-Urban Continuum Codes form a classification scheme that distinguishes
metropolitan counties by size and nonmetropolitan counties by degree of
urbanization and proximity to metro areas. The standard Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) metro and nonmetro categories have been subdivided into
three metro and six nonmetro categories, resulting in a 9-part county
codification. This scheme allows researchers to break county data into
finer residential groups, beyond metro and nonmetro, particularly for
the analysis of trends in nonmetro areas that are related to population
density and metro influence.
State Fact SheetsState Fact Sheets provide information
on population, per-capita income, earnings per job, poverty,
number of jobs, unemployment rate, percent employment change, farm and
farm-related jobs, top export commodities, farm characteristics, and farm
financial indicators.
See all recommended data...
Related Links
USDA Rural DevelopmentThis site provides
information on USDA business, housing, and utility programs to improve
the economy and quality of life in rural America.
Small Farms@USDAThis is a gateway to resources, benefits, and services offered by USDA for small farmers, including the Small Farms Advisory Commission's recommendations and USDA action plans.
See all related links...
Maps and Images Gallery
Rural GalleryCharts and maps depict
information on rural indicators, including population
and migration; labor and education; income, poverty, and welfare; housing; and
industry.
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