This guide contains sources for national, state, and county-level statistics and data focusing on a wide range of topics. While many are strictly-related to rural health and human services, others include data for urban areas and populations as well. Health-related topics covered include, but are not limited to:
- Health status
- Disabilities
- Suicide rates
- Children's health
- Women's health
Human services topics include:
- Economics
- Housing
- Employment
- General demographics
- Welfare programs
Primary sources for these and other data include the U.S. Census Bureau, Kaiser Family Foundation, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, USDA Economic Research Service, and the National Center for Health Statistics.
Related Guides
Tools
2010 Census Data
Web site
A variety of tools and data sets are available for exploring the 2010 Census results.
2011 CMS Statistics
Web site
Contains annual booklets of information about health expenditures and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) programs. Published in June of each year. Covers 2003 through the most currently available complete calendar year.
2012 County Health Rankings
Web site
Includes a collection of reports that rank the health of nearly every county in the nation on their overall health. Each county is ranked within the state on how healthy people are and how long they live. They also are ranked on key factors that affect health such as: smoking, obesity, binge drinking, access to primary care providers, rates of high school graduation, rates of violent crime, air pollution levels, liquor store density, unemployment rates, fast-food restaurants, physical inactivity, and number of children living in poverty.
2012 HHS Poverty Guidelines
Web site
Provides current and past poverty guidelines, poverty thresholds, and other related information.
America's Health Rankings
Web site
Provides twenty years of data and offers recommendations to address health risk behaviors and their negative outcomes. Includes state-by-state snapshots.
American Community Survey
Database
An ongoing survey that provides data every year that gives communities the current information they need to plan investments and services. Includes data tables, ranking tables and surveys on demographic, social, economic, and housing data for over 800 geographical areas.
American Community Survey: The New Era for Detailed Data (Webinar)
Web site
Webinar, presented by Kathleen Miller, discusses the American Community Survey and how it is used to collect data, as well as issues with its methodology and results.
American FactFinder
Database
A source of data and other information on United States population, housing, economy and geography.
American Housing Survey (AHS)
Web site
Collects data on the Nation's housing, including apartments, single-family homes, mobile homes, vacant housing units, household characteristics, income, housing and neighborhood quality, housing costs, equipment and fuels, size of housing unit, and recent movers. National data are collected in odd numbered years, and data for each of 47 selected Metropolitan Areas are collected about every six years.
American Indian and Alaska Native Resources
Database
Provides statistical information and data on American Indian and Alaska Native populations, including population characteristics, economic data, American Community Surveys, and maps.
Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America
Web site
An online, interactive mapping tool that captures a broad range of demographic, economic, and agricultural data on rural areas across the United States.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
Database
Provides access to reports, surveys, and fact sheets from the BRFSS, a telephone survey that tracks health risks in the United States. Data is available by state and for the nation.
Carsey Institute Regional Indicators
Research instrument
Provides access to socio-economic indicators for rural, suburban, and urban parts of each region of the United States.
Catalyst Center State-at-a-Glance Online Chartbook
Web site
Provides selected indicators on key aspects of health coverage and health care financing for children and youth with special health care needs in each state plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD)
Web site
Cancer statistics for African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. Provides information on NCI (National Cancer Institute) research activities related to cancer health disparities, including those specific to rural communities.
Child Trends DataBank
Web site
A data bank of information for the latest national trends and research on more than 80 key indicators of child and youth well-being.
CIM (Community Issues Management)
Research instrument
Search issue-specific content and create maps and reports to illustrate the "place-based" implications of issues impacting rural America.
Commonwealth Fund ChartCart
Web site
Offers access to data charts on various health care themes developed by The Commonwealth Fund.
Data.gov
Web site
As part of the Open Government Initiative, this tool offers access to datasets from the Federal Government, so far including Federal, Executive Branch data.
Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) Statistics
Web site
Charts the number of primary, dental, and mental health professional shortage areas (HPSA) for each state and how many health care providers would be required to remove the shortage designation. Includes the percentage of designations located in rural vs. urban areas. Data is updated several times a month.
Disability Counts
Web site
Contains disability data for rural and urban U.S. counties. Data topics include people with disabilities, Centers for Independent Living (CILs), metro & non-metro county maps, urban and urbanized area maps, congressional district maps, and disability statistics resources.
ERS State Fact Sheets
Web site
Statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for each state.
FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) Encyclopedia
Web site
Provides statistical information on traffic fatalities including vehicle type, people involved, and geographic location, including rural/urban.
FastStats A to Z
Web site
Provides statistical data on various health issues affecting majority and minority populations living in U.S. States and Territories. Browse the list of topics for links specific to racial and ethnic groups.
FastStats State and Territorial Data
Web site
Provides data and statistics on a variety of health topics by state.
FedStats
Web site
Offers access to official state-specific and topical data from Federal Statistical Organizations.
Geo.Data.gov
Web site
Provides access to geospatial data and information, you can also create and save your own maps.
GlobalHealthFacts.org
Web site
Provides easy access to the latest country-level health information.
HCUPnet
Database
Online query tool for accessing Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data. Provides access to health statistics and information on hospital stays at the national, regional, and State level. Includes data on rural hospital diagnoses and procedures.
Health Centers and Look-alike Sites Data Download
Web site
Downloadable file contains current data about HRSA’s Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes – sites that qualify for HRSA grant funding but do not currently receive any funding from those programs. Includes raw data as a text file, the metadata and template files in Excel format, and import instructions in PDF format.
Health Reform Fact Sheets
Web site
Offers customized fact sheets for each state, together with a directory of topics providing background information on the impacts health reform may have on the states and D.C.
Health, United States, 2010: Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas
Web site
Links to tables from the Health, United States chartbook, showing health statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Health, United States, 2010: State Data
Web site
Provides access to data from the Health, United States publication available by state. Includes data on births, deaths, health status, personnel, facilities, health care expenditures, and health care coverage.
Health.Data.gov
Research instrument
Health data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is made freely available so that software developers can create innovative applications and make the data more useful for consumers and communities.
Hospital Classification (SCH/CAH/Rural)
Database
Offers lists of sole community hospitals (SCH), critical access hospitals (CAHs), CAH inpatient and outpatient cost to charge ratios (CCRs), plus rural hospitals under 100 beds and rural sole community hospitals under 100 beds.
HRSA Geospatial Data Warehouse
Web site
Provides access to HRSA program data and other health related - including rural health - raw data for download and permits the user to selectively filter, sort, and choose data columns to create customized maps and reports. Also, presents charts, reports and maps and tools that address specific health data topics.
Indicators Northwest
Web site
A source of statistics by region, state, county, reservation, and tribe for Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Users can find indicators and trends in areas like: demographics, economic well-being, and health.
Kaiser Fast Facts
Web site
Provides direct access to facts, data, and slides about the nation's health care system and programs.
Key 2008 Poverty Statistics for Your Congressional District
Web site
Detailed poverty data organized by congressional district with additional breakdowns on child poverty, women in poverty and poverty among racial minorities.
Key Community Health Center Data by State
Web site
Provides national and state-level data on Federally Qualified Health Centers' patients, services provided, staff, patient visits, and costs of care. Includes an interactive map for accessing state fact sheets.
KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides child well-being data by state and county. Formerly CLIKS (Community Level Information on Kids).
MEPS Insurance/Employer Component
Web site
Provides access to national and state-level statistics and trends regarding employer-based health insurance, about health insurance offered by private establishments, plus national and regional health insurance estimates for State and local governments.
Model-based Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for School Districts, Counties, and States
Web site
Provides more current estimates of selected income and poverty statistics than the most recent decennial census. Created for states, counties, and school districts, and intended for the administration of federal programs and the allocation of federal funds to local jurisdictions.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshots
Web site
Provides state-specific health care quality information, including strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. Information is based on the National Healthcare Quality Report and National Healthcare Disparities Report and is updated annually.
National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) Series
Database
Part of The Urban Institute's Assessing the New Federalism (ANF) multi-year research project, which tracks the effects of federal policy changes decentralizing many social programs from the federal government to the states, focusing primarily on health care, income security, job training, and social service.
Office of Applied Studies: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Statistics
Database
Provides the latest national data on alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drug abuse; drug related emergency department episodes and medical examiner cases; and the nation's substance abuse treatment system.
Office of Disability Employment Policy: Disability Data Resources
Web site
Provides statistical and research resources regarding people with disabilities.
Population Briefs
Web site
Site delivers access to reports that provide population and land data for the 13 states in the Western Rural Development Center's region. Some county-level reports are also available here.
RAC State Resources
Web site
Provides statistics, publications, contacts, success stories, and other resources related to rural health and human services for all 50 states, plus U.S. territories and commonwealths.
RAC Topic Guides
Web site
Resources and frequently asked questions collected by topics related to rural health and human services. Guides include policy briefs, research reports, charts and data, success stories, and directories.
Research Data Assistance Center
Research instrument
A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) contractor that provides free assistance to academic, government, and non-profit researchers interested in using Medicare and/or Medicaid data for their research.
Rural Definitions: National and State Indicator Tables
Web site
Provides selected socioeconomic indicators (such as population, education, poverty, etc.) for each definition of rural, by State and the U.S., in one Excel file allowing the user to compare a particular indicator across the different definitions of rural.
Rural Economic Development: Database on Federal Economic Development Funding
Database
Compares federal funding for rural and urban economic development programs, with spending data available by region, state, county, agency and program.
Rural Education in America
Database
Provides access to data, studies, tabulations, and resources regarding rural education in the United States.
Rural Health Research: Rural statistics and demographics
Web site
Provides summaries of current and completed rural health research projects and related publications addressing the topic of rural statistics and demographics, produced by the Office of Rural Health Policy's funded rural health research centers.
Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) for Counties and States
Web site
Provides model-based estimates of health insurance coverage for counties and states by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and income. Website provides links to maps, data sets, and interactive tables.
Snap Shots of State Population Data (SNAPS)
Database
Provides local-level community profile information nationwide that can be browsed by county and state and searched by zip code. SNAPS can be used when responding to public health emergency events at the state, Tribal, and local levels.
State and County QuickFacts
Web site
Facts and data about the people, business and geography of each state and county.
State Data Center (SCD) Program
Web site
Official sources of state-level demographic, economic, and social statistics produced by the U.S. Census Bureau. Includes links to the data center in each state and U.S. Commonwealth and Territory.
State Health Facts Online
Database
Contains state-level data on demographics, household income, health status, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons. Includes statistics by state on medical malpractice and Medicare.
State Scorecard 2009
Web site
An interactive U.S. map to view state-specific rankings and results compared to benchmarks, and to view the number of lives and dollars each state could save by achieving benchmark levels of performance.
Statistical Abstract of the United States
Web site
Provides a summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
UDS Mapper
Web site
Developed to help inform users about the current geographic extent of Section 330 U.S. federally funded health centers (FQHCs). Designed upon algorithms and reporting methods for the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)-requested service area analyses. Requires a brief log-in registration.
USA Counties
Web site
Features state- and county-level data from various sources. Demographic, economic, and governmental data are presented for the purpose of multi-county comparisons or single county profiles.
WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System)
Database
An interactive database system that provides customized reports of injury-related data.
Women's Health Care Disparities: State Fact Sheets
Web site
Presents selected data and findings from the report Putting Women’s Health Care Disparities on the Map: Examining Racial and Ethnic disparities at the State Level. Includes individual state fact sheets, data indicators, and a full report.
Your State's Health
Web site
State-based health information, including adult and child health indicators, health disparities, bioterrorism preparedness, and federal funding to the state for health.
Maps & Map Collections
RAC Maps
Interactive
Geographic coverage: United States
National maps on a variety of rural health and human services topics. Maps can be customized to focus on a specified state or county and to show additional labels, boundaries and data, for use in grant applications, reports and other publications.
The Decline: The Geography of a Recession; Unemployment Rates by County
Interactive
Geographic coverage: United States
An interactive map that displays the rate of unemployment by county from 2007 through 2009 by Latoya Egwuekwe using data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Date: 2010
West Nile Virus Maps
Interactive
Geographic coverage: United States
A compilation of maps and statistics for each state regarding the number of West Nile Virus cases found in humans, the number of cases identified by veterinarians in animals, and the number of bird and mosquito infections.
Date: 2011
Young People in Rural America: 2000 to 2009
Geographic coverage: United States
Shows whether the proportion of young people (under 25) increased or decreased in rural counties between 2000 and 2009. Some regions saw their share of the young increase while other parts of the country had the percentage of their populations under 25 go down.
Date: 2009
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
2009 Report to the Secretary: Rural Health and Human Service Issues
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on issues related to rural America. Examines three key topics: workforce and community development, creating viable patient-centered medical homes, and serving at-risk children.
Date: 04 / 2009
2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Access reports based on the 2010 survey of the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of youth and adults. Statistics are available according to region and by county geographic type (metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas).
Date: 08 / 2011
American Community Survey: What it Means for County Data
Author(s): Kathleen Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Explains the process of data released from the American Community Survey, and discusses implications to analyzing data for rural counties.
Date: 03 / 2010
Baby Boom Migration and Its Impact on Rural America (Executive Summary)
Author(s): John Cromartie, Peter Nelson
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
An analysis of the migration shift of baby boomers that indicates a propensity to migrate to nonmetro counties as people reach their fifties and sixties and projects a shift in migration among boomers toward more isolated settings, especially those with high natural and urban amenities and lower housing costs.
Date: 08 / 2009
Baby Boom Migration and Its Impact on Rural America (Full Report)
Author(s): John Cromartie, Peter Nelson
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
An analysis of the migration shift of baby boomers that indicates a propensity to migrate to nonmetro counties as people reach their fifties and sixties and projects a shift in migration among boomers toward more isolated settings, especially those with high natural and urban amenities and lower housing costs.
Date: 08 / 2009
Births: Final Data for 2007
Author(s): Joyce A. Martin, Brady E. Hamilton, Paul D. Sutton, Stephanie J. Ventura, Fay Menacker, Sharon Kirmeyer
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
Presents 2006 data on U.S. births according to a wide variety of characteristics. Data are presented for maternal demographic characteristics including age, live-birth order, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, and educational attainment; maternal lifestyle and health characteristics; medical care utilization by pregnant women; and infant characteristics.
Date: 08 / 2010
Births: Preliminary Data for 2008
Author(s): Brady E. Hamilton, Joyce A. Martin, Stephanie J. Ventura
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Presents preliminary data for 2008 on births in the United States. U.S. data on births are shown by age, live-birth order, race, and Hispanic origin of mother. Data on marital status, cesarean delivery, preterm births, and low birthweight are also presented.
Date: 04 / 2010
Brief Analysis of Recent Demographic Changes
Author(s): Kenneth M. Johnson
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Presents a brief analysis of U.S. Census data relevant to domestic migration trends, demonstrating that the weak economy has begun to affect rural and urban America in decidedly different ways, with migration to most rural areas declining sharply compared to recent years.
Date: 03 / 2009
Census Brief 1: Population Changes on the Great Plains
Author(s): Jon M. Bailey, Kim Preston
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
Part of a series examining socio-economic aspects of the 2010 Census for the Great Plains and parts of the Midwest with a focus on population change.
Date: 07 / 2011
Changing West: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Provides baseline data for identifying population changes in the western states for use in advancing rural development.
Date: 2008
Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2010
Author(s): Esa Eslami, Kai Filion, Mark Strayer
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Presents an overview of the Food Stamp Program eligibility requirements and benefit levels. Provides detailed tabulations and rural-urban comparisons of household and participant characteristics for the nation and by State from October 2009 to September 2010.
Date: 09 / 2011
Compass for Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data: What Users of Data for Rural Areas Need to Know
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
An introduction to the American Community Survey for those who use rural social, economic, and housing data.
Date: 08 / 2009
County-To-County Migration of Taxpayers and their Incomes, 1995-2006
Author(s): Arthur P. Hall, Scott Moody, Wendy P. Warcholik
Sponsoring organization: University of Kansas
Provides data on taxpayer moves between counties and found three broad trends: outmigration from very rural areas, migration to areas with pleasant weather and natural amenities and outmigration from very large urban centers to smaller urban centers.
Date: 03 / 2009
Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Dartmouth Atlas project is a funded research effort of the faculty of the Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences at Dartmouth Medical School. The Atlas project brings together researchers in diverse disciplines - including epidemiology, economics, and statistics - and focuses on the accurate description of how medical resources are distributed and used in the United States.
Data Snapshot on High-poverty Communities
Sponsoring organization: KIDS COUNT
Indicates how high-poverty communities are harmful to children, outlines regions in which concentrated poverty has grown the most, and offers recommendations to address these issues. States that children living in rural areas (10 percent) are more likely than those in suburbs (4 percent) to live in a community of concentrated poverty.
Date: 02 / 2012
Education: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Explores education characteristics in the western states and examines how it impacts rural development.
Date: 2008
Employment, Income and Poverty: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines and compares employment and income in western states with both rural and urban data.
Date: 2008
Factors Influencing Rural Residents’ Utilization of Urban Hospitals
Author(s): Margaret Jean Hall, Jill Marsteller, Maria Owings
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Examines which patient, hospital, and county characteristics influence rural residents’ use of urban hospitals.
Date: 11 / 2010
First Results from the 2010 Census
Author(s): Mark Mather, Kevin Pollard, Linda A. Jacobsen
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
Initial report from the 2010 Census identifying population change in rural and metro areas. Includes statistics on the increased diversity and ethnicity in the U.S.
Date: 07 / 2011
Geography of Need: Identifying Human Service Needs in Rural America
Author(s): Colleen Heflin, Kathleen Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Uses American Community Survey five year average county-level data to compare the type and degree of human service needs in metropolitan versus non-metropolitan counties.
Date: 06 / 2011
Hard Times in the Heartland: Health Care in Rural America
Author(s): Meena Seshamani, Joan Van Nostrand, Jenna Kennedy, Carrie Cochran
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Discusses the current state of health care in rural areas and the need for health care reform. Covers the use and cost of insurance and health care for farm and ranch operators, poverty and unemployment rates, health disparities, and the state of health care provider workforce in rural America.
Date: 03 / 2009
Health and Longevity: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines health and longevity for states in the western region.
Date: 2008
Health and Well-Being of Children in Rural Areas: A Portrait of the Nation 2007
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Resource with which to analyze the health status, health care use, activities, and family and community environments experienced by children in rural and urban areas.
Date: 09 / 2011
Health Care Costs 101
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation
Provides general background on U.S. health
spending, with detail for California where available.
Date: 04 / 2011
Health Disparities: A Rural-Urban Chartbook (Full-Report)
Author(s): Kevin J. Bennett, Bankole Olatosi, Janice C. Probst
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Presents data on health disparities experience by people living in rural America. Some disparities are poorer health status, higher prevalence of obesity, lesser options for activity, and higher mortality rates.
Date: 06 / 2008
Health in the Americas: United States of America
Sponsoring organization: Pan American Health Organization
Reports on the health status of persons living within the 50 States. Also includes social, political, economic, environment, and demographic information. Data is presented by age, race, and gender using narrative, charts, and graphs.
Date: 2007
Health, United States, 2011: With Special Feature on Socioeconomic Status and Health.
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Uses tables and narrative to present trends and information regarding the Nation's health status, demographic distribution, health insurance coverage and expenditures, health behaviors and risk factors, and the utilization and access to health care.
Date: 05 / 2012
HHS Open Government Plan
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services responds to the White House's Open Government Directive and explains how they will become more transparent.
Date: 06 / 2010
Importance of a Healthy Rural Economy
Author(s): Kathleen Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses the shift in the primary occupation of farm operators to off farm jobs.
Date: 02 / 2009
Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010
Author(s): Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, Jessica C. Smith
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
Provides the latest income, poverty, and health insurance data from the Current Population Survey.
Date: 09 / 2011
Key Health and Health Care Indicators by Race/Ethnicity and State
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Shows variations across states, racial, and ethnic groups for six key health and health care indicators including rates of infant mortality, diabetes-related mortality, and AIDS cases.
Journal citation: Academic Medicine
Date: 04 / 2009
Kids Count Data Book, 2010
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Provides national and state-by-state information and statistical trends on the conditions of America’s children and families. Includes graphs, maps, ranked lists, and state-by-state profiles.
Date: 2010
Land Use and Resources: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht
Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center
Examines land use and resources in the western states.
Date: 2008
NCHS Urban - Rural Classification Scheme for Counties: Data Evaluation and Methods Research
Author(s): Deborah Ingram, Shelia Franco
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
Details the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics development of the 2006 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties. Provides examples of how the scheme can be used to describe differences in health measures by urbanization level.
Date: 01 / 2012
New Immigrant Settlements in Rural America: Problems, Prospects, and Policies
Author(s): Leif Jensen
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Examines immigrants in rural and small town America using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Many small towns and cities in every region of the country experience new challenges and opportunities brought by rapid increases in their immigrant populations.
Date: 2006
Nonmetro America: Conditions and Trends
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Summarizes key demographic and economic indicators in the United States, with an emphasis on nonmetropolitan areas in each state.
Date: 05 / 2008
Place Matters: Challenges and Opportunities in Four Rural Americas
Author(s): Lawrence C. Hamilton, Leslie R. Hamilton, Cynthia M. Duncan, Chris R. Colocousis
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Presents the results from a survey that examines issues facing rural Americans focusing on economic changes, challenges, and realities; migration and demographic changes; religion, trust, and civil institutions; environment, natural resources, and energy; infrastructure and changing populations.
Date: 10 / 2008
Population Change in Rural America
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Presents rural population data and findings from the 2010 Census and American Community Survey (ACS).
Date: 12 / 2011
Poverty in Rural America
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Discusses the characteristics and challenges of the poor in rural America. Includes statistics on demographics, impact on housing, and emerging trends of racial and ethnic diversification.
Date: 09 / 2011
Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Addresses the prevalence, causes, effects, and implications of tobacco use by young people in rural and urban areas. Describes factors that lead youth and young adults to start using tobacco and the impact their choice has on the nation, communities, families, and individuals. Identifies proven, effective strategies that have potential to reduce tobacco use.
Date: 2012
Profile of Latinos in Rural America
Author(s): Rogelio Saenz
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Uses data from the Census Bureau’s 2006 American Community Survey (ACS) to present a snapshot of the Latino population in the nonmetropolitan United States.
Date: 2008
Prospects for a Rural Recovery
Author(s): Jason Henderson
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Analyzes and compares rural to urban economies and identifies risks to rural economic recovery, such as: out-migration, industrial consolidation, and limited access to capital.
Date: 12 / 2009
Quick Health Facts 2010: Selected State Data on Older Americans
Author(s): Leigh Purvis
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Presents major health system characteristics for each state and the District of Columbia. Reflects current health care priorities, with a particular focus on data that is relevant to
the provisions of the recently passed health care reform legislation. State data sheets includes rural population in percent of total.
Date: 08 / 2010
Race and Ethnicity in Rural America
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Presents data and findings about race and ethnicity in rural areas and small towns from the 2010 Census and American Community Survey (ACS).
Date: 04 / 2012
Racial and Ethnic Composition of the Population
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Summarizes the data on county racial and ethnic composition. Shows the population change in the non-Hispanic white population and the total minority population in each nonmetro county from 2000 to 2007.
Date: 08 / 2008
Rural America at a Glance, 2011
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Highlights the most recent indicators of social and economic conditions in rural areas for use in developing policies and programs to assist rural areas. The 2011 edition focuses on the U.S. rural economy, including employment trends, poverty, education, and population trends.
Date: 09 / 2011
Rural Demographic Change in the New Century: Slower Growth, Increased Diversity
Author(s): Kenneth M. Johnson
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Examines rural demographic trends in the first decade of the twenty-first century using newly available data from the 2010 Census.
Date: 02 / 2012
Rural Health Snapshot 2010
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Displays selected indicators of access to health care, health behavior/risk factors, and mortality rates, comparing rural to urban residents.
Date: 08 / 2010
Rural Hispanics at a Glance
Author(s): William Kandel
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Overview of the rural Hispanic population, with information on population growth and geographic dispersion, demographic characteristics, and social and economic indicators.
Date: 12 / 2005
Rural Population and Migration
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Provides statistics on aging and rural diversity, demographic and social characteristics, health status, poverty, social security income, economic assets, and rural implications.
Date: 09 / 2009
Rurality in the United States
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Presents data and findings about rural America from the 2010 Census and American Community Survey.
Date: 11 / 2011
Selected Findings on Child and Adolescent Health Care From the 2007 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Presents findings from the 2007 National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) and National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR) on health care quality, access, and utilization for children and adolescents.
Date: 03 / 2008
Small Business Profile: United States
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the United State's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 01 / 2012
State and Metropolitan Area Data Book: 2010
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
Summarizes statistics on topics such as population change, health, and employment status of metropolitan and micropolitan areas in the United States. Includes state rankings for key indicators.
Date: 2010
State Handbook of Economic, Demographic, and Fiscal Indicators, Seventh Edition - 2008
Author(s): David Baer
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Provides information about state economic, demographic, and fiscal conditions, including: population, poverty rates, per capita state personal income, state and local revenues, expenditures, tax rates, and property tax relief programs.
Date: 2008
Summary Health Statistics for the U.S. Population: National Health Interview Survey, 2010
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Summarizes data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and includes estimates on various health measures of the U.S. population such as health status, special education, early intervention services, health insurance coverage, injury, health care access, and limitations in activities. Some data is compared according to metropolitan or nonmetropolitan areas.
Journal citation: Volume 10 Issue 252
Date: 09 / 2011
Tobacco Control in Rural America
Sponsoring organization: Legacy
Examines tobacco-related disparities facing rural areas, socioeconomic and cultural conditions that cause these disparities, challenges to tobacco control and prevention efforts, and explores effective strategies that have shown measurable outcomes for tobacco control in rural America.
Date: 07 / 2009
Uninsured in America, 1996–2009: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population Under Age 65
Author(s): May C. Chu, Jeffrey A. Rhoades
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Presents estimates on the uninsured in America under age 65 for calendar years 1996 through 2008, as well as the first half of 2009.
Date: 08 / 2010
United States Suicide Fact Sheet
Sponsoring organization: Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Provides nationwide statistics of deaths by suicide for the years 1999-2005.
Date: 2007
Organizations
Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to build better futures for disadvantaged children and their families in the United States. Fosters public policies, human service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families. Provides statistics on economic, educational, and social well-being for children of color in the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Federal government
The principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. Data is relevant to social and economic issues reflecting the rapidly changing economic conditions, accurate and consistent high statistical quality, and impartial in subject matter and presentation.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Federal government
Operates the Medicare and Medicaid programs - two national health care programs that benefit millions of Americans. Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Website includes access to research, statistics, and data related to their programs.
Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics
Federal government
Works to bring together Federal agencies that share a common interest in improving aging-related data.
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
Federal government
Fosters coordination, collaboration, and integration of collection and reporting of Federal data on child and family issues and conditions.
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Federal government
Works to improve and expand access to quality health care for all. Part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)
Nonprofit/Foundation
An independent philanthropy focusing on the major health care issues facing the nation. Acts as a source of facts and analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the general public.
Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MEDPAC)
Federal government
A non-partisan congressional agency that advises the U.S. Congress on Medicaid and CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) policy, including issues on payment, access to care, and health care reform. Includes statistical reports.
National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO)
National organization
The National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) is a not-for-profit national membership organization dedicated to improving health care through the collection, analysis, dissemination, public availability, and use of health data.
National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO)
National organization
Professional membership organization for state budget and finance officers that provides a range of publications, services, and knowledge-sharing opportunities for our members and others interested in state finance issues. Publishes state budget and expenditure reports.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
Federal government
Primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data that are related to education in the United States and other nations. Part of the U.S. Department of Education.
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
Federal government
The United States' principal health statistics agency that compiles statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve health.
State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC)
National organization
Helps states monitor rates of health insurance coverage and understand factors associated with uninsurance. Provides policy analysis and technical assistance to states that are conducting their own health insurance surveys and/or using data from national surveys.
U.S. Census Bureau
Federal government
Provides statistics, data, surveys and other programs on the population, economics, education, foreign trade, housing, construction, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture and more of the United States.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Federal government
Acts as the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.
USDA Economic Research Service (USDA ERS)
Federal government
Provides economic analyses to support a competitive agricultural system, safe food supply, a healthy, well-nourished population,
harmony between agriculture and the environment, and enhanced quality of life for rural Americans.
Terms & Acronyms
Access Ability or the means necessary to read, write, modify or communicate data/information or otherwise make use of any system resource.
Clearinghouse Public or private entity that processes or facilitates the processing of nonstandard data elements of health information into standard data elements.
Data Factual information (as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation, often found in numerical form that can be digitally transmitted or processed.
Data Warehouse A centralized store of an organization's data resources implemented specifically for query, reporting, and analysis purposes including maps and GIS.
Encryption Transforming confidential plaintext into ciphertext to protect it so the data becomes unintelligible. Once encrypted, data can be stored or transmitted over unsecured lines.
Metadata Information that addresses data characteristics such as names and definitions of data elements, where it comes from, how it is collected, and what transformations it goes through before being stored. Simply put, metadata is data about data.
Statistics A branch of applied mathematics concerned with the collection and interpretation of quantitative data and the use of probability theory to estimate population parameters.
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) A statistical entity developed by the U.S. Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000 to facilitate defining the land area covered by each ZIP Code.
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