NCHS Recognizes National Rural Health Day

Each year, we celebrate National Rural Health Day on the third Thursday of November. One in five people in the United States live in rural areas. Many of these residents face unique challenges that can affect health, such as higher poverty rates and less access to care. National Rural Health Day reminds us of the importance of understanding these needs.

Today, we take a deeper look at what “rural” really means and explore the latest findings that shape our understanding of rural health.

What Does “Rural” Really Mean?

One of the first questions we need to address is: What exactly do we mean by “rural”? The term can mean different things depending on who’s defining it. It can refer to everything from small towns to vast, sparsely populated areas. No single definition fits all contexts.

That’s why the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) uses a system for classifying U.S. counties by how urban and rural they are:

• Large central metropolitan areas (like inner cities)
• Large fringe metropolitan areas (like suburbs)
• Medium and small metropolitan areas (including smaller cities and towns)
• Nonmetropolitan areas (less densely populated areas)

This classification system allows us to compare health outcomes in rural (nonmetropolitan) areas with those in more urban settings. Grouping communities based on size and population density gives us a clearer understanding of how living in more remote areas can affect access to care and health outcomes.

Health, Revealed Through Data

So, what do the numbers tell us about rural health? In the past year, data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and NHIS-Teen Survey have uncovered some eye-opening findings that reveal the health landscape in rural America:

• 4% of teens in rural areas reported spending four or more hours per day on screens, compared with 43.3% in urban areas.
• 8% of adults in rural areas had obesity, compared with 30.4% in large central metro areas.
• 4% of adults in rural areas smoked cigarettes, compared with 9.2% in large central metro areas.
• 5% of adults in rural areas had ever been diagnosed with cancer, compared with 8.2% in large central metro areas.
• 7% of adults in rural areas had a dental exam or cleaning in the past year, compared with 66.0% in large central metro areas.

These and other stats on rural health are available in NCHS Data Briefs and other publications, as well as on the NHIS Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults and NHIS Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Teens dashboards and from birth and death data from the National Vital Statistics System accessible on CDC WONDER.

National Rural Health Day reminds us to reflect on the unique challenges rural communities face. By continuing to gather data, share resources, and collaborate, NCHS remains committed to providing data that supports the understanding of the health of rural America.