Forbes reports that according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, between 2010 and 2017, almost 1,000 rural counties in the U.S. recorded more deaths than births. Simultaneously, rural populations have declined, with only 20% of the population residing in rural areas which make up 97% of the country. Population change also means significant changes in health care need, demand and access. Also, according to the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM), “As urbanization increases, an older, sicker and poorer population remains in rural America.” What this means is that Americans living in rural areas of the country have much greater health issues, and far fewer health resources.
