It is difficult to fashion a definition of rural America that reflects both regional diversity and clearly defines the unique characteristics of rural areas compared to urban areas. This is increasingly difficult as rural and urban areas become more integrated through commuting patterns and urban and suburban expansion.
Some definitions also take into account the principal economic activity in an area.
However, there is no standard definition of rural areas used in policy, research, and planning. There is no uniformity in how rural areas are defined for purposes of Federal program administration or distribution of funds. Different definitions of rural areas use different criteria, different levels of analysis, and different methodologies. Research on rural areas produces different results based on how rural areas are defined, whether the unit of analysis is at the county or census tract level, and whether a dichotomous or graduated definition is used. The multiple definitions used in policymaking result in disparate policy impacts for different rural areas.