Opinion: Researching Rural Economies

Anna Kovner

Econ Focus, 2025, vol. 25, issue Q3

Abstract: Nearly one in five Americans live in rural areas. In the Richmond Fed's Fifth District, that share is even higher — about one in four. These places are defined by the Census Bureau as being sparsely populated, having low housing density, and being long distances from urban centers. Understanding these economic differences that arise from location and population density is important to achieving the Fed's mandate to promote maximum employment, which may be affected by place-based characteristics. At the Richmond Fed, we've made it a core focus of our research team to study the economies of small towns and rural places.

Keywords: small town and rural communities; employment and labor markets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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