Rural Virginia Defined

Am I “rural?”

Federal and state programs designed for rural communities, rural health professionals, and rural service providers have frequently established specific definitions of what “rural” means. This approach ensures that programs meet the needs of well-defined target groups; however, it also results in a variety of differing definitions of what constitutes a rural area.

Overviews of how rural areas are defined can be found at:

1. “Am I Rural?” Determine whether your specific location is considered rural based on various definitions of rural, including definitions that are used as eligibility criteria for federal programs.
2.  “How We Define Rural” Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
3.  “Rural America at a Glance, 2024 Edition”, USDA