The United States covers 3,537,438 square miles, with a 2010 estimated
population of 308,745,538 people – 51,043,753 living in rural areas
(USDA-ERS). According to 2009 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 79.6%
of the nation’s population is white, 12.9% is African-American/Black,
4.6% is Asian, 1.0% is American Indian, 0.2% is Native Hawaiian or
Other Pacific Islander, and 15.8% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.
There are 4,822 hospitals in the nation, 2,038 of which are classified as non-metro hospitals (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis
Center, 2009). 1,324
hospitals are currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team (2011) as
Critical Access Hospitals. There are 3,846 Rural Health Clinics, and 1,048 Federally
Qualified Health Centers provide services at 7,240 sites (Kaiser,
2009). Most Americans have some form of health insurance coverage,
however 17.0% of the nation's residents are uninsured
(Kaiser, 2009).
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita
income for all Americans in 2008 was $40,166, although rural per-capita
income lagged at $31,108. 2009 estimates indicate a poverty rate
of 16.6% exists in the rural U.S., compared to a 13.9% level in urban areas
of the nation. 2010 ACS data reports that 17.6% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 14.7% of urban populations. The rural unemployment rate is at 9.2% while in urban
areas it is at 9.7% (USDA-ERS, 2010).
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County
QuickFacts
USDA Economic Research Service:
State Fact Sheets
North
Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser
Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex
Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
