Urban and Rural Population (2020) – Rural
This indicator reports the percentage of population living in urban and rural areas as of 2020. Urban areas are identified using population density, count, and size thresholds. Urban areas also include territory with a high degree of impervious surface (development). Rural areas are all areas that are not urban.
Source
Source Description
The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States. It is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution and takes place every 10 years. The census collects information about the age, sex, race, and ethnicity of every person in the United States. The data collected by the decennial census determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and is also used to distribute billions in federal funds to local communities. For more information about this source, refer to the United States Census 2020 website.
Methodology
Data are from the US 2020 Decennial Census, which provides urban and rural attributes for all geographic areas. By the 2020 Census definition, urban areas are comprised of a densely settled core of census blocks that meet minimum housing unit density requirements, along with adjacent territory containing non-residential urban land uses as well as territory with low population density included to link outlying densely settled territory with the densely settled core. The Census Bureau identifies urban areas in 2020 Census as: containing at least 2,000 housing units or having a population of at least 5,000, not distinguished as either an “urbanized area” or an “urban cluster.” A census block containing an institutional group quarter may be added to an urban area if it has a block-level density of 500 people per square mile.
“Rural” encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within any urban area. Geographic entities, such as metropolitan areas, counties, minor civil divisions, places, and census tracts, often contain both urban and rural territory, population, and housing units. Indicator data tables display the percentage of population in areas designated either urban or rural based on the following formula:
For more information, please visit the US Census Bureau’s 2020 Urban and Rural Classification web page.
Data Breakouts Available
- Rural Population, Percent by Race Alone
- Rural Population, Total by Race Alone
- Rural Population, Percent by Age Group
- Rural Population, Total by Age Group
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