Approximately one-quarter of the United States population lives in a rural area. While people and economic activity may be more concentrated in suburban and urban areas than rural ones, what happens in rural communities plays a significant part in U.S. public health. In 2025, contagious diseases increased in some rural areas and then spread across county and state lines. Rural populations are also more likely to rely on Medicaid, and forthcoming cuts to the program are likely to leave significant gaps in care for rural communities.
There’s no better moment for rural public health professionals to share what rural public health means, the stories that define their communities, and the communications approaches that work. Download Communicating Rural Public Health to go deeper.
