The Biden administration’s economic and infrastructure agenda prioritizes funding improvements in physical and human capital, including education, health care, child support, climate resilience, and affordable housing. The proposed significant spending plan would advance these goals, and because rural counties account for more than 97 percent of the country’s land area and house one of every five Americans, rural communities stand to benefit.

But for the funding to be most effective, federal, state, and local policymakers and practitioners need information about the communities they serve. There is no single rural America, and thus no single strategy that should be used across all its communities. From remote recreational areas to accessible energy-rich hubs, rural places exhibit a diversity of culture, languages, local industries, and basic infrastructure like roads, water, and broadband. These differences require tailored investments that leverage a place’s local strengths and assets.

We illustrate the many, varied rural realities in our new typology and dashboard, which categorizes rural census tracts into one of seven asset-based peer groups. Paired with other local data, rural practitioners can use the tool to brainstorm and enhance strategies that build upon rural assets. State and local policymakers can combine the tool with local data sources to pursue policies that promote an asset-based recovery. And national stakeholders and funders, including federal agencies and philanthropic foundations, can explore patterns of regional variation to better target investments.

Below, we highlight three ways practitioners, policymakers, and investors can use our new mapping tool to promote equitable investments for all types of rural communities.

  1. Invest in supports that go beyond physical infrastructure
  2. Honor tribal sovereignty and recognize the diversity of strengths across tribal lands and people
  3. Closely monitor potentially widening rural inequities caused by COVID-19

Read the full article about equitable rural investments by Amanda Gold and Corianne Payton at Urban Institute.