A rural area or countryside is a geographic area located outside towns and cities. Rural areas typically have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are often described as rural. Rural economics is the study of rural economies, which include both agricultural and non-agricultural industries. Rural development and finance attempt to solve larger challenges within rural economics, which are often connected to the migration from rural areas due to lack of economic activities and rural poverty. Rural poverty refers to poverty in rural areas, including factors of rural society, rural economy, and political systems that give rise to the poverty found there. Rural areas, because of their spread-out populations, typically have less well-maintained infrastructure and a harder time accessing markets, which tend to be concentrated in urban areas.
The definition of rural varies depending on the organization or institution using it. The U.S. Census Bureau defines rural as any population, housing, or territory not in an urban area. The Census Bureaus definition of urban includes urbanized areas of 50,000 or more people and urban clusters of 2,500 or more people. The Census Bureaus definition of rural is closely tied to its definition of urban. Other federal agencies and researchers may use different definitions of rural. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Economic Research Service, for example, uses nonmetro counties to depict rural and small-town trends.
In summary, rural areas are geographic areas located outside towns and cities, typically with a low population density and small settlements. The definition of rural varies depending on the organization or institution using it.
