Rural America is home to a fifth of the Nation's people, keeper of natural amenities and national treasures, and safeguard of a unique part of American culture, tradition, and history. Today, rural America comprises over 2,000 counties, contains 75 percent of the Nation's land, and includes 49 million people. 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. Equally important is our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for the Nation's small farmers who are increasingly dependent on these rural economies for their employment and economic support.

The well-being of America's rural people and places depends upon many things:

• The availability of good-paying jobs
• Access to critical services, such as education and health care
• Strong communities
• A healthy natural environment

The challenges look very different in rural than in urban areas. Small-scale, low-density settlement patterns make it more costly for rural communities and businesses to provide critical services. Declines in agricultural jobs and income have forced many workers to seek new sources of income, and today many small farmers rely on off-farm work for the lion's share of their support. Yet despite this increased interdependence, 500,000 U.S. farmers have household incomes below the poverty line. Low-skill, low-wage rural manufacturing industries must find new ways to challenge the increasing number of foreign competitors. And, changes in the availability and use of natural resources in rural areas affect the people who earn a living from these resources, as well as those who derive recreational and other benefits from these natural amenities. Some rural areas have met these challenges head on, achieved prosperity, and are ready to move into the next century. Other rural areas have kept up with change at some level, but have little capacity to adapt further. Still other rural areas have fallen behind and are not positioned well for the future. ERS research focuses on change and diversity in rural areas and provides information to Federal, state, and local policymakers to help enhance the quality of life and well-being of rural Americans.

ERS is the premier source of social and economic analysis on rural America. The cornerstone of our research program is a rich and unique information system that includes:

• Innovative classification schemes for understanding rural diversity
• Geographic mapping for analyzing spatial relationships
• Trend data for assessing the changing characteristics of rural people, communities, and government programs
• The most detailed annual survey available on the Nation's small farmers

Our comprehensive information system enables us to conduct a broad research program that examines the effects of economic trends and policies on rural economies with the goal of identifying structural problems and unexploited possibilities for improvement. ERS research examines:

• Rural population growth and decline
• Factors affecting labor market dynamics
• Determinants of poverty
• Effectiveness of Federal assistance programs in rural areas
• Infrastructure
• Agribusiness
• Industrial base of rural areas
• Geographic distribution of Federal assistance

Using USDA's Agricultural Resources Management Study, ERS also investigates the role of small farms and issues affecting their continued viability.

for more information, contact: Leslie Whitener
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: January 22, 2004