An estimated 64,798,000 persons, or 25% of the population of the United States, lived in rural areas in 1988. Rural areas include open countryside and places with fewer than 2,500 inhabitants not in the suburbs of large cities. This report presents demographic data on the rural population, pointing out that comparison with 1987 data suggests a…

This government report presents information on age, sex, labor force activities, and race and ethnic origin of the rural and rural farm population for 1987. Also included are fertility characteristics for the June 1987 Current Population Survey (CPS) supplement and data from the March 1987 CPS supplement on marital status, household, family…

Effective rural development planning depends on facts and analysis based, not on rural averages, but on the diverse social and economic structure of rural America. Programs tailored to particular types of rural economies may be more effective than generalized programs. Because of their unique characteristics, government policies and economic…