Research Alert: August 27, 2020

Rural-Urban Differences Among Older Adults

Rural populations are older, on average, than urban populations, and the proportion of older adults is increasing more quickly in rural communities due to declining birth rates and migration patterns among younger adults. Additionally, the demographics of rural areas are changing, as immigration and socioeconomic forces influence who lives in rural areas. These trends demand that policymakers, researchers, service providers, and healthcare workers regularly update their understanding of the characteristics of older adults in rural communities in order to improve how they serve these populations and to allocate resources more effectively and efficiently. Toward that end, this chartbook presents the characteristics of older adults in rural counties, as well as rural-urban differences among older adults, across four domains: demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, healthcare access and use, and health characteristics.

Additional Resources of Interest:

• More information about the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
• More information from the Rural Health Information Hub's topic guides: Rural Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health