Rural America comprises 2,052 counties, contains 75 percent of the Nation's land, and is home to 17 percent (49 million) of the U.S. population based on the 2003 Federal definitions of nonmetropolitan counties. ERS research and policy analysis focuses on the socioeconomic well-being of low-income households, the effectiveness of Federal assistance programs in rural areas, and the factors influencing the rural infrastructure, agribusiness, and industrial base of rural areas.
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Rural Poverty At A GlanceThis publication provides the most recent information on poverty trends and demographic characteristics of the rural poor.
The rate of poverty is not only an important social indicator of the well-being of the least well off, but it is also widely used as an input in shaping Federal policies and targeting program benefits.
While metro and nonmetro areas have shared similar patterns of reductions and increases in poverty rates over time, there continues to exist a wide and persistent gap between nonmetro and metro poverty rates. The report also documents large metro-nonmetro gaps when poverty is analyzed by race, ethnicity, age, and family structure. Other reports in this series look at rural education and rural America (see all At A Glance reports).
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov updated: July 28, 2004
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