rural

South Plains Community Action Association, Inc., or SPCAA, serves approximately 114 counties in Texas, with a focus on assisting in rural communities. It is one of many organizations whose programs are under threat in upcoming federal budget proposals.

The USDA's Rural Development agency has provided billions of dollars each year to small towns, farmers and businesses. Now staffing upheaval and budget cuts brought on by the Trump administration may be eating into the agency’s effectiveness.

An executive order calling for the reduction of a federal agency that awards grants to museums and libraries would affect Oklahoma’s urban and rural libraries differently.

More states in the Midwest and Great Plains are trying to support rural, independent grocery stores through tailored grant programs. Advocates say these businesses are vital for rural communities to thrive.

While research shows that the peer support model is effective at improving clients’ well-being, experts say that low pay makes it difficult for people to remain in positions or create livable careers.

Ad Astra School has opened around the corner from Elon Musk’s corporate compound in rural Central Texas. Nonprofit filings show secondary schools and a university are also planned.

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found working-age rural residents die from natural causes at a higher rate than their urban counterparts. And that gap has widened over the years.

Despite the fact that more women are going into veterinary medicine than ever before, some female practitioners in rural areas still face discrimination and pay gaps — problems experts say the industry will need to overcome to fill a shortage of animal care in those communities.

Auctions — a marketplace for knick knacks, farm land and everything in between — are often also gathering events for rural communities. That’s changing as more auctions go online.

The consumer price index is widely used by Americans to determine inflation, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics only surveys American counties that include a metro or micropolitan area.