For the demographic, economic, and health-related trends presented below, rural counties are defined as having populations less than or equal to 35,000. According to this definition, 109 counties in Georgia are defined as rural compared to 50 urban counties.
Demographic Trends
19% of the population in Georgia resides in rural counties.
68.1% of residents of rural counties and 76.4% of urban county residents earned at least a high school degree, respectively.
13.1% of rural populations are 65 years old or older compared to 9.8% in urban counties.
Economic Trends
15.3% of families in rural counties are below the poverty level compared to 9.6% of urban families.
14.6% of rural populations receive food stamp supplements compared to 9.6% of urban residents.
31.0% of rural residents are Medicaid recipients compared to 23.7% of urban residents.
