Sources of earned income vary widely across rural areas. Social Security and other retirement programs greatly affect rural retirees and the areas in which they are concentrated. Changes in welfare programs may disproportionately affect high-poverty rural areas.

ERS research focuses on the economic, social, and demographic factors that affect the income and poverty status of rural residents and their participation in Federal assistance programs, including food assistance programs.

Topics include the following:

• Composition of nonmetro earnings in relation to metro earnings,
• Level and composition of government transfers (retirement/disability, medical, unemployment, etc.).

We've redesigned our website. You may be interested in browsing the material that was available in the Rural Income, Poverty, and Welfare briefing room, which is available in our archive. It includes a discussion of the location and characteristics of high-poverty counties.

For a summary of recent conditions and trends, see the Amber Waves feature, Economic Recovery: Lessons Learned From Previous Recessions.

Last updated: Wednesday, November 07, 2012

For more information contact: Tracey Farrigan