Poverty in Rural America
HAC has conducted extensive research on poverty in rural America, including:
Rural Research Briefs are a series of data and findings from the recently released decennial Census and American Community Survey (ACS), highlighting various social, economic, and housing characteristics of rural Americans.
Housing Occupancy and Vacancy in Rural America
According to the 2010 Census, there are just over 30 million housing units in rural and small town communities, making up 23 percent of nation’s housing stock. Of these, approximately 25 million, or 82 percent, of rural homes are occupied. Housing vacancy rates in rural and small town areas are approximately 7 percentage points higher than the national level. Much of the higher vacancy rate in rural areas is due to the number of homes unoccupied for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use. In fact, nearly 60 percent of all vacant seasonal, or recreational homes nationwide are located in rural and small town areas. Additionally, the number of housing units in rural and small town communities increased by nearly 3 million (11 percent) between 2000 and 2010.
For more information on this issue, check out HAC’s newest Rural Research Note: Housing Occupancy and Vacancy in Rural America (PDF)
Race and Ethnicity in Rural America
Race & Ethnicity in Rural America is the third in a series of Rural Research Briefs presenting data and findings from the recently released 2010 Census and American Community Survey (ACS). HAC’s Research Note examines racial and ethnic characteristics of rural America, including trends and demographic shifts that have occurred since the 2000 census. This publication includes:
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- Figures on race and ethnicity in rural America;
- An analysis of racial and ethnic minorities in rural and small town areas;
- Population growth figures by race and ethicity.
Population Change in Rural America
The 2010 Census revealed a population of 308 million people in the United States. This figure represents a population increase of roughly 27million, or a 9.7 percent from the year 2000. The nation’s population growth over the past decade was lower than in the 1990‐2000 period, when the national population grew by 13 percent. A variety of factors, including the recent economic downturn, reduced immigration, as well as other demographic factors, are largely responsible for this moderated population growth.
In this research brief, HAC provides and overview of the rural population, details population change in rural and small town areas, and provides state by state figures on rural population change.
Rurality in the United States
Rurality in the United States, (PDF)
For most of the nation’s history, the United States has been a predominately rural place. In 1790 the first U.S census revealed that 95 percent of the population resided in rural areas. The populous remained largely rural throughout much of the 19th century, but settlement patterns started to shift rapidly in the early 20th century in response to an increasingly urban-oriented economy. In 1920, the census reported, for the first time, that more than half of the U.S. population lived in urban areas. From this point until today, the trend towards urbanization in this nation has been unabated.
In this research note HAC analyzes what it means to be rural, how much of the US population lives in rural areas, and explains its definition of rural.
Improving HMDA: A Need To Better Understand Rural Mortgage Markets
Improving HMDA: A Need To Better Understand Rural Mortgage Markets
Print copy: $1.00
This Rural Housing Research note describes The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) and provides an example of the limitations of available lending information for rural areas.
2010, 8 pages, ISBN 978-1-58064-167-8, Rural Housing Research Note.
What is the Housing Foreclosure Situation in Rural America?
Rural Research Note, October 2009, 23 pages.
Our nation is experiencing one of the most extensive and painful economic crises of an entire generation. Housing markets are believed to be at the heart of the crisis, and millions of American households are having trouble meeting their mortgage payments and facing foreclosure or eviction. Rural America has been impacted by the housing crisis, but it is difficult to determine the extent of foreclosures in rural communities. To better understand the scope and severity of the foreclosure problem in rural areas, The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) compiled and analyzed several private and public sources of information on housing distress. Below are highlights of the findings from this brief investigation.