New Census Data Show
Differences Between Urban and Rural Populations
NEWS RELEASE: CB16-210
*Access
all of the American Community Survey 5-Year Statistics
DEC. 8, 2016 — People who live in rural areas are more
likely to own their own homes, live in their state of birth and have served in
the military than their urban counterparts, according to the latest data from
the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
“I know, as both Secretary of Commerce and from my own private
sector experience, that data is idle inventory on the shelf that has the power
to create economic opportunity and change lives,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce
Penny Pritzker. “The American Community Survey is the only survey that provides
statistics that tell the story of every community’s current socio-economic
state, from big cities to small towns. This information is vital to
making decisions in business and government that enhance the
lives of all of our citizens.”
As the nation’s
largest household survey, the American Community Survey is the only annual
dataset that produces this range of statistics for all of the nation’s 3,142
counties. For the three-fourths of all counties with populations too small to
produce single-year statistics (2,323 counties), it is the only available
dataset.
“Rural areas cover 97 percent of the
nation’s land area but contain 19.3 percent of the population (about 60 million
people),” Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson
said. “By
combining five years of survey responses, the American Community Survey provides
unequaled insight into the state of every community, whether large or small,
urban or rural.”
Today’s release features data collected
between 2011 and 2015 on more than 40 demographic, housing, social and economic
topics, including commuting, educational attainment and home value. These statistics
are available to explore on the Census
Bureau website.
There were about 47
million adults 18 years and older living in rural areas. Most adults in both
rural and urban areas owned their own homes but the percentage was higher in
rural areas (81.1 percent compared with 59.8 percent). Adults
in rural areas were also more likely to live
in single-family homes (78.3 percent compared with 64.6 percent) and live in
their state of birth (65.4
percent compared with 48.3 percent). Veterans
comprised 10.4 percent of the population of adults in rural areas compared
with 7.8 percent of adults in urban areas.
Adults in rural
areas had a median age of 51, making them older compared with adults in urban
areas with a median age of 45. They had lower rates of poverty (11.7 percent
compared with 14.0 percent) but were less likely to have obtained a bachelor’s
degree or higher (19.5 percent compared with 29.0). Rural communities had fewer
adults born in other countries compared with those in urban areas (4.0 percent
compared with 19.0 percent).
Additional findings
showed: (see this infographic for more)
· About
13.4 million children under the age of 18 lived in the rural areas of the
nation.
·
Children
in rural areas had lower rates of poverty (18.9 percent compared with 22.3
percent) but more of them were uninsured (7.3 percent compared with 6.3
percent). A higher percentage of own children in rural areas lived in
married-couple households (76.3 percent compared with 67.4 percent). ("Own
children" includes never-married biological, step and adopted children of
the couple.)
·
Compared with
households in urban areas, rural households had lower median household income
($52,386 compared with $54,296), lower median home values ($151,300 compared
with $190,900), and lower monthly housing costs for households paying a
mortgage ($1,271 compared with $1,561). A higher percentage owned their housing
units “free and clear,” with no mortgage or loan (44.0 percent compared with
32.3 percent).
· States with the highest median household
incomes in rural areas were Connecticut ($93,382) and New Jersey ($92,972) (not
statistically different from each other). The state with the lowest rural
median household income was Mississippi ($40,200). Among rural areas, poverty
rates varied from a low in Connecticut (4.6 percent) to a high in New Mexico
(21.9 percent).
Differences in the Rural Population Based on Level of Rurality
Researchers also compared rural residents
in 704 completely rural counties—those whose entire populations lived in rural
areas—with their rural counterparts in counties that were mostly rural, and
those that were mostly urban. (See new
blog coming soon: “Rurality Matters”.)
Between 2011 and
2015, about 9.0 percent of the rural population in the United States (5.3
million) lived in these completely rural counties, compared with about 41.0 percent
(24.6 million) in the 1,185 mostly rural counties and about 50.0 percent (30.1
million) in the 1,253 mostly urban counties. For a complete list of counties
and where they fall on the rural-urban spectrum, visit this County Look-Up Table.
The American Community Survey five-year statistics
show that the characteristics of rural residents differed depending on the
level of rurality of their county of residence.
The "Rural
America: How Does the U.S. Census Bureau Define "Rural?" interactive story
map provides a multimedia application experience. It contains interactive
web maps, information and images to help explain how the Census Bureau defines
"rural."
For more information, see the following
blogs, also released today:
·
Life Off the Highway
·
The Foreign-Born by Rural Status of
Counties: 2011-2015
·
Homes on the Range: Homeownership Rates
Are Higher in Rural America
·
Beyond the Farm: Rural Industry Workers in
America
·
Household Income and Poverty for the Rural
Population
·
A Glance at the Age Structure and Labor
Force Participation of Rural America
·
Rurality Matters
For
more information on the history and differences between definitions of rurality
among other agencies, see the new brief “Defining Rural at the U.S. Census
Bureau.”
Also Released
Today From the American Community Survey:
· New: The 5-year statistics now have “Comparison Profile” tables. These data compare differences between
the latest set of American Community Survey 5-year statistics (2011-2015) and
the most recent, nonoverlapping five-year dataset (2006-2010). The tables note
statistically significant differences.
· The application
programming interface is now updated
with 2011-2015 American Community Survey statistics.
· Statistics from the Puerto Rico Community Survey are available for geographic levels down
to the block group level. A Spanish translation will be released Jan. 19, 2017.
Because it is a survey
based on a sample of the population rather than the entire population, the
American Community Survey produces estimates. To aid data users, the Census
Bureau calculates and publishes a margin of error for every estimate. Guidance
on making comparisons is available on our website.
About the American
Community Survey
The American Community Survey is the only
source of small area statistics for social, economic, housing and demographic
characteristics. It gives communities the current information they need to plan
investments and services. Retailers, homebuilders, police departments, and town
and city planners are among the many private- and public-sector decision-makers
who count on these annual results. Visit the Stats in Action page to see some examples. These
statistics would not be possible without the participation of the randomly
selected households in the survey.
Citation Guidance
With the exception of
the internet access data, please use "American Community Survey:
2011-2015" when sourcing the statistics in this release. The internet
access data should be cited as "American Community Survey:
2015."
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Note: Statistics
from sample surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. All
comparisons made in the reports have been tested and found to be statistically
significant at the 90 percent confidence level, unless otherwise noted. Please
consult the tables for specific margins of error. For more information, go to <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/technical-documentation/code-lists.html>.
Changes in survey design from year to year can affect
results. For more information on changes affecting the 2011-2015 statistics, see
<www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/news/data-releases.html>. For guidance on comparing 2011-2015 American
Community Survey statistics with previous years, as well as the 2000 and 2010
Censuses, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/guidance/comparing-acs-data.html>.
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