United States
The United States covers 3,537,438 square miles, with a 2005 estimated
population of 296,410,404 people – 49,928,566 living in rural areas
(USDA-ERS). According to 2004 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 80.4%
of the nation’s population is white, 12.8% is African-American/Black,
4.2% is Asian, 1% is American Indian, 0.2% is Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander, and 14.1% is of Hispanic/Latino origin.
There are 4,900 hospitals in the nation, 2,095 of which are located
in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis
Center, 2006). 1,294
hospitals are currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team (2008) as
Critical Access Hospitals. There are 3,592 Rural Health Clinics, and 914 Federally
Qualified Health Centers provide services at 5,502 sites (Kaiser,
2004). Most Americans have some form of health insurance coverage,
although 16% of the nation's residents lack any health insurance
(Kaiser, 2003-2004.)
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita
income for all Americans in 2004 was $33,050, although rural per-capita
income lagged at $25,104. 2003 estimates indicate a poverty rate
of 13.9 % exists in the rural U.S., compared to a 12.2% level in urban areas
of the nation. 2000 data reports 23.5% of the rural population has not
completed high school, while only 18.8% of the urban population lacks a
high school diploma. The rural unemployment rate is at 5.6% while in urban
areas it is at 5.0% (USDA-ERS, 2005).
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
