An Enhanced Quality of Life for Rural Americans: Rural Gallery

Measuring Rurality

• Discussion about "what is rural?"

Maps:

• Nonmetropolitan and metropolitan counties, 2003
• Rural-urban continuum codes for counties, 2003
• Urban influence codes for counties, 2003
• Natural amenities scale

ERS 2004 county types ("county typologies"):

• Farming-dependent
• Mining-dependent
• Manufacturing-dependent
• Federal/State government-dependent
• Services-dependent
• Nonspecialized
• Housing stress
• Low-education
• Low-employment
• Persistent poverty
• Population loss
• Nonmetro recreation
• Retirement destination

For more information, see the Measuring Rurality Briefing Room and ERS publications on the geography of rural areas.

Population and Migration

Maps:

• Nonmetro population change, 1990-2000
• Patterns in nonmetro population change, 1990-1995 versus 1995-2000
• Nonmetro change in the population age 65 and over, 1990-99
• Nonmetro net migration, 1990-99
• Nonmetro natural population change, 1990-99
• Nonmetro minority counties, 1990
• Blacks as a percent of the total population in 1990 and 2000
• Hispanics as a percent of the total population in 1990 and 2000
• Native Americans as a percent of the total population in 1990 and 2000
• Asians as a percent of the total population in 1990 and 2000
• Multiracial persons as a percent of the total population in 2000

For more information, see the Rural Population and Migration Briefing Room.

Labor and Education

Current characteristics

• Unemployment rates by age, sex, and race, 2006

Timeline charts

• Metro and nonmetro unemployment rates, 1973-2006
• Metro and nonmetro educational attainment, 1980-2000
• Metro and nonmetro low-wage employment share, 1979-2006

Maps

• Nonmetro unemployment, 2006
• Nonmetro employment change, 2000-2006
• Hired farm labor payroll, 2002
• Nonmetro high school completion rates, 2000
• Nonmetro college completion rates, 2000

For more information, see the Rural Labor and Education Briefing Room.

Income, Poverty, and Welfare

Current characteristics:

• Metro/nonmetro poverty by race and ethnicity, 2006
• Metro/nonmetro poverty by family type, 2006
• Metro/nonmetro poverty by education level, 2006
• Metro/nonmetro poverty by region, 2006
• Transfer payments to nonmetro residents, 2005

Timeline charts:

• Metro/nonmetro poverty rates, 1959-2006
• Metro/nonmetro real per capita income, 1990-2005
• Metro/nonmetro real earnings per nonfarm job, 1990-2005

Maps:

• Nonmetro poverty rates, 2004
• Nonmetro poor density map, 2004
• Overlap of high TANF dependence and high unemployment in nonmetro counties, 2002
• Per capita value of food stamps benefits by county, 2005

For more information, see the Rural Income, Poverty, and Welfare Briefing Room

Housing

Current characteristics

• Households whose housing expenses exceed half their income, 2003
• Households whose homes are physically inadequate, 2003
• Households who lack complete plumbing facilities, 2003
• Households living in crowded homes, 2003
• Households who own their homes, 2003

For more information, see the Rural Development Strategies Briefing Room.

Transportation

Maps

• Average commute times in nonmetro counties, 2000
• Major river systems in the U.S.

For more information, see the Rural Development Strategies Briefing Room.