Rural Definitions and Poverty Indicators
In partnership with Save the Children, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Columbia Climate School, Columbia University has assembled a set of maps that are based on an in-depth review of various rural definitions. The maps below are based on the HRSA FORHP rural definition and include two poverty indicators and a rural definition agreement map.
HRSA FORHP Rural Census Tracts
The above map displays the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) defined rural census tracts with 2010 census boundary files.
% Poverty of Total Population
Using the HRSA FORHP rural census tracts, the above map displays dark orange census tracts with a total poverty of greater than 19.5% using ACS 2015-2019 5-year estimates.
% Children in Poverty
Using the HRSA FORHP rural census tracts, the above map displays light blue census tracts with children in poverty greater than 19.5% using ACS 2015-2019 5-year estimates.
Rural Definitions Comparison
Utilizing rural census tract definitions from nine difference sources (USDA RUCC, USDA UIC, USDA RUCA, FHFA, HRSA FORHP, CDC, CORI Metro+, Census Bureau, OMB CBSA) an agreement map was created to visualize consistencies and inconsistencies across the conterminous United States. Increasing purple hue notes higher agreement of a census tract being rural. Green notes non-rural, or urban, census tracts.