Get to know your rural neighbors, one weekly story at a time.
Issue 02 · November 1, 2026 · 4-minute read
Rural America isn’t what you think.
This issue of My Fellow Americans starts with a basic premise: understanding the basics of rural America. It will set the baseline definitions of rural America, explore the demographics of rural Americans, and cover their pressing concerns as they head to the polls.
We’re just a few days away from the Midterms and you will continue to hear a lot about “rural voters”. In my experience, without firsthand accounts or informed sources, the media tends to treat this electorate as one big monolith, with singular priorities and voting patterns across the country. If early polls are to be trusted, that myth is already busted.
Tune in on Thursday for a Midterm Rural Recap where I’ll go deeper into some of the results and takeaways from major races, including insights and trends about what’s happening in rural America. Look out for that issue in your inboxes on Nov 5th!
To set the stage, let’s talk about rural folks. My guess is that rural America isn’t what you think.
A Map of Rural America
The U.S. Census defines urban as 5,000 or more residents or 2,000 or more housing units (source).
Quick Hits about Rural America that Might Surprise You:
Rural America is bigger than you think. Rural America is 97% of the land (source), about 20% of the people (source), and 8% of the economy (source)
1,958 of the 3,144 counties in the US are considered rural (nonmetro) (source)
People are moving to rural America. Since 2021, rural populations have grown steadily thanks to net migration, particularly in recreation counties (source)
Not everyone is white. One in four rural Americans are people of color (source)
This is especially true for children. One in three rural American children are non-white (source)
Farming is not the top source of employment. Healthcare and social assistance services, manufacturing, retail, and educational services make up the largest percentage of jobs (source)
Fewer than 5% of the rural workforce works in agriculture (source)
Household income is rising, but not as fast as metro areas. Median household income was $60,459 in 2023 (inflation-adjusted) compared to $81,270 in metro areas. (source)
Local news deserts are real, which is why rural stories are hard to come by. About 50 million Americans have limited or no access to local news, wherein 212 counties have no news source and another 1,524 counties have only one. (source)
Be honest, how many of these facts challenged your thinking about rural Americans? My objective is to move us away from stereotypes and thoughts of monolithic people to a more nuanced view and honest understanding of our fellow rural Americans. In future issues we will dive deeper into rural population demographics, employment sources, economies, farming, and more. I will also do my best to cover all regions to introduce you to more of your fellow Americans.
Midterm Preview
Rural voters were about 22% of the 2020 electorate, delivering decisive votes in battleground states (source).
According to the New York Times, there are 7 Senate races currently marked as tossups (Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas). Across those states there are significant rural populations – anywhere from 17% (Texas) to 61% (Maine) of the population. Even Nebraska, which traditionally goes heavily Republican, has a close Senate race. Not to mention the many close House races and tossup governor races in: Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, Wisconsin.
In short, states that many of us think of as ‘rural’ will be in the national spotlight on Election Day.
So, as voters in those states go to the polls, here’s a quick look at the top issues for rural Americans. According to a KFF/AP Rural Voters survey run this summer, the following issues ranked as “extremely important” for candidates to talk about (source):
Cost of living: 69%
Health care costs: 56%
Fraud in government programs: 54%
Immigration: 45%
The conflict with Iran: 42%
Agriculture and farm policy: 35%
I can’t wait to see how things will play out. See you back here on Thursday for a very special Midterms issue.
Thank you for being here.
Nina
KNOW
CONSUME
What rural voters care most about ahead of Election Day
KFF/AP Rural Voters Survey, September 23, 2026
KFF and the AP asked 2,241 registered voters in rural areas what they most want candidates to talk about. Cost of living tops the list (69 percent call it extremely important), including healthcare. A 54-year-old Wisconsin Republican responded to the study with: “Our health insurance tripled this past year.”
Respondents diverge from there with rural Republicans putting an emphasis on fraud in government programs. The report ends with voters describing their own communities, from Alabama to North Dakota.
DO
VOTE!! It’s the single most impactful action we can all take in our democracy.
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Reaching rural voters is the hard part
Barn Raiser, October 10, 2026
Rural voters are over a fifth of the electorate, and they made up 23 percent of House voters in the 2022 midterms. But reaching them takes long drives, spotty broadband and few local news outlets. Organizers say year-round, local messengers matter most. Rural Democracy Initiative research found family, friends, veterans, farmers and small business owners among the most trusted, with governors, mayors and members of Congress near the bottom.
Keep Reading This Week in Rural America
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