Rural Data Sources
There is a wide range of data sources from Federal agencies that can be used to examine various aspects of rural America. This listing provides a summary of the major Federal sources of statistical data used to analyze rural areas. The data sources are categorized by their content, time period, as well as their geographic coverage.
| Source | Agency link | Description | Geographic coverage | Geographic reporting units | Rural classifications | Time period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Decennial Census | U.S. Census Bureau | Complete count of U.S. housing units and group quarters, with data collected on age, sex, and race-ethnicity of all household members | All U.S. States, Puerto Rico and Island Areas | Multiple small-area reporting units, including counties, places, census tracts, and congressional districts | Summary statistics provided for Census-defined rural areas and OMB-defined nonmetro areas | Every 10 years on the first April 1 of every decade |
| Population Estimates | U.S. Census Bureau | Population size by age, race-ethnicity, and sex, and components of population change since the most recent decennial census; based on births, deaths, and migration data | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico | Nation, States, counties; total resident population only for places, and sub-county units | County-level data may be used to generate statistics for OMB-defined nonmetro areas | Annual data, 1970-present |
| American Community Survey | U.S. Census Bureau | Survey of housing units and group quarters; primary U.S. source for small-area socioeconomic statistics | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico | Small-area reporting units, including counties, places, census tracts, and congressional districts | Summary statistics provided for Census-defined rural areas and OMB-defined nonmetro areas | 1-, 3-, and 5-year data products since 2006 |
| Current Population Survey | BLS/U.S Census Bureau | Longitudinal survey of housing units; summary tables and microdata about housing units and occupants | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico | Census regions, Census divisions, some Metro Areas | Primarily uses OMB's nonmetro areas | Monthly surveys since the 1960's |
| American Housing Survey | HUD/U.S. Census Bureau | Longitudinal survey of housing units; summary tables and microdata about housing units and occupants | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico | Census regions, Census divisions, some Metro Areas | Primarily uses OMB's nonmetro areas | Biennial surveys since 1973 |
| Building Permits Survey | U.S. Census Bureau | Provides data on the number and valuation of new housing units authorized by building permits | All U.S. States; excludes Puerto Rico and Island Areas | Regions, divisions, states, counties, metropolitan areas, individual jurisdictions | County-level data may be used to generate statistics for OMB-defined nonmetro areas | Monthly and annually since 1959 |
| Local Area Unemployment Statistics | Bureau of Labor Statistics | Monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment widely used as key indicators of local economic conditions | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico | Multiple units, including States, metro and micro areas, and counties | County-level data may be used to generate statistics for OMB-defined nonmetro areas | Monthly and annual averages since 1976 |
| Covered Employment and Wage | Bureau of Labor Statistics | Known as QCEW or ES-202; employment and wage data by industry, based on administrative data for unemployment insurance | All U.S. States, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands | Nation, States, counties | County-level data may be used to generate statistics for OMB-defined nonmetro areas | Annual averages since 1975 |
| Local Area Personal Income and Employment | Bureau of Economic Analysis | Personal income and employment by industry. Also included are data on employee compensation, transfer receipts, and farm income and expenses. | All U.S. States | Nation, States, counties, Metro and Nonmetro areas | Summary statistics provided for OMB-defined nonmetro areas and BEA defined regions | Annual averages since 1969 for most data |
| Common Core of Data (Education) | National Center for Education Statistics | Survey of public schools with information on schools and school districts; data on students and staff; and fiscal data | 50 states, the District of Columbia,and the outlying areas | Schools and school districts | NCES urban-centric locale code for school districts; county-level definitions may be applied | 1986-87 school year through 2013-14 |
| Source | Agency link | Description | Geographic coverage | Geographic reporting units | Rural classifications | Time period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Fact Sheets | Economic Research Service, USDA | Selection of population, income, education, employment, and farm data for all U.S. States | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico | States | Separate statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of each State | 1980 to present |
| Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America | Economic Research Service, USDA | Interactive mapping tool containing many socio-economic indicators used in rural research | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico (when data are available) | Counties | Includes OMB-defined metro-nonmetro indicator, and several other county classifications | Decennial data, 2000 and 2010; annual data since 2010 |
| County Business Patterns/ZIP Business Patterns | U.S. Census Bureau | Economic data by industry, including number of establishments, employment, and payroll | U.S. States, Puerto Rico, and Island Areas | Counties and ZIP code areas | Data may be used to generate statistics for OMB-defined nonmetro areas and ZIP-based RUCA codes | Annual data since 1964 |
| Statistics of U.S. Businesses | U.S. Census Bureau | Provides national and subnational data on the distribution of economic data by enterprise size and industry | All U.S. States; excludes Puerto Rico and Island Areas | Nation, States, metropolitan areas, counties | County classifications, including metro-nonmetro areas and ERS urban-rural continuum | Annually since 1989 |
| Area Health Resources Files | Health Resources and Services Administration | Socioeconomic and related data about the nations health care delivery system | United States, including Puerto Rico | Nation, States, counties | County classifications, including metro-nonmetro areas and ERS urban-rural continuum | Covers several decades but time period varies by source |
| Source | Agency link | Description | Geographic coverage | Geographic reporting units | Rural classifications | Time period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census Urban and Rural Areas | U.S. Census Bureau | Urban areas are densely-settled clusters with at least 2,500 people; defined using census block and block groups | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico | Multiple units, including counties | Official Census definition of urban and rural for statistical reporting purposes. | Updated every 10 years since 1900 |
| Metro and Nonmetro Areas | Office of Management and Budget | Labor-market regions centered around urban areas of 50,000 or more people; remaining counties are nonmetro | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico | Counties | Widely used to distinguish urban and rural territory at the county-level | Updated every 10 years since 1950 |
| Rural-Urban Continuum Codes | Economic Research Service, USDA | Rurality measure based on metro status, urban population, and metro adjacency | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico | Counties | Based on metro-nonmetro classification | Updated every 10 years since 1970 |
| Urban Influence Codes | Economic Research Service, USDA | Rurality measure based on metro-micro status, size of largest place, and metro adjacency | All U.S. States and Puerto Rico | Counties | Based on metro-nonmetro classification | Updated every 10 years since 1990 |
| County Typologies | Economic Research Service, USDA | Six categories of economic dependence and seven categories of policy-relevant themes | All U.S. States | Counties | May be used with county-based classifications, such as metro-nonmetro areas | Updated every 10 years since 1990 |
| Natural Amenities Scale | Economic Research Service, USDA | Composite of six measures of environmental qualities most people prefer | U.S. States except Alaska and Hawaii | Counties | May be used with county-based classifications, such as metro-nonmetro areas | Based on data from 1941 to 1993 |
| County-level Oil & Gas Production | Economic Research Service, USDA | Based on the annual gross withdrawals of crude oil (barrels) and natural gas (cubic feet) from 2000 through 2011 | U.S. States except Alaska and Hawaii | Counties | May be used with county-based classifications, such as metro-nonmetro areas | Based on data from 2000 to 2011 |
| Creative Class County Codes | Economic Research Service, USDA | Based on share of population employed in occupations that require "thinking creatively" | All U.S. States; excludes Puerto Rico and Island Areas | Counties | May be used with county-based classifications, such as metro-nonmetro areas | Updated every 10 years since 1990 |
| Rural-Urban Commuting Areas | Economic Research Service, USDA | 10-level classification based on urban size and commuting flows | All U.S. States, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands | ZIP code areas and census tracts | Used as a urban-rural definition at the sub-county level | Updated every 10 years since 1990 |
| Frontier and Remote Area Codes | Economic Research Service, USDA | Identifies very rural, isolated territory based on urban size and highway travel-time | All U.S. States; excludes Puerto Rico and Island Areas | ZIP code areas and other reporting units | Designed to be used as a remote-rural definition at the sub-county level | Updated every 10 years since 2000 |
| Urban-Centric Locale Codes | National Center for Education Statistics, DOE | 12-level classification of schools and school districts based on proximity to urbanized areas | U.S. States, DC, Island Areas | Schools and school districts | Designed to distinguish schools and school districts by rurality | Redesigned in 2006; updated every 10 years |