Rural Research Briefs
Shawn Poynter / There Is More Work To Be Done
Shawn Poynter / There Is More Work To Be Done
RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF: It’s Cold Out There! Home Heating (and the lack of) in Rural America
Home heating is a basic necessity with profound implications for health, finances, safety, and quality of life. Home heating dynamics and conditions, however, are not uniform across the country. Some rural communities and households face home heating challenges due to geography, infrastructure, and economic conditions. Rural homes are located over large geographics areas, have lower housing density, and may lack access to centralized energy infrastructure. These factors, combined with generally lower incomes and an older housing stock, make rural home heating costs and adequacy a concern and policy issue.
